New Ninjas on the Block
by DemonWolf Alchemist
Summary: Edward, Yusuke, and Kurama have become ninjas in Konoha, and are taking the chunin exam. However, Gaara isn't the only suspicious character to watch out for. Naruto rewrite/FMA movie alternative, with later nods to the manga.
1. Journal Entry

_New Ninjas On The Block_

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's notes: First, I've added new squads from _FMA_ and _YYH_, making for even more action. Plus, there are going to be plot twists diverting from the series.

Second, please send me reviews on this story. I want to know that people care.

Third, I notice that I've lost a lot of readers around chapters two and three, but I promise, it gets _much_ better. This is just an introduction, and you know those are usually kind of boring. Please, just have a little patience. It gets better by chapter four.

Warning: By the way, I must warn you, there is going to be a certain amount of bad language. "I'm not talking about split-infinitives. I mean, of course, there will be a lot of swearing in this story. So if you are offended by this sort of material, for God's sake, don't be a d**k about it."

But, I won't make it too excessive.

* * *

**Ch. 1 "Journal Entry"**

_Journal- April 12, 1917_

_Well, it's official. The Chunin Exams are going to be held one week from today. Finally, we get to show what we're really made of. I have to admit, at first, I almost hated this place. It was so new to me, I didn't have any idea what the hell was going on or where I was. But it didn't really take me long to understand it all. The hardest thing to understand, in my opinion, has to be the writing these people use. It's nothing like the Germanic writing I'm used to._

A voice rang out from down the hall, "Hey, hurry up! We're gonna be late!"

"I'll be finished in a minute!"

_My roommate is such an impatient pain in the ass. He's always got his ass on his shoulders about something. And to make things worse, he's one of my teammates! I have to spend all day around him. I've tried to relax since I've arrived at this busy village of Konoha-gakure. Luckily, since we don't have any way to support ourselves, the leaders of this village have worked out a deal, and we get to stay in a place one of them owns, as long as we do the housework. Our other team member actually preferred to stay out in the woods, surrounding the village. And every morning, all he has to do is cross the gate to get in and see us._

_Like me, these guys aren't from this village. They aren't even from this world. They said some sort of 'rift' opened in some place called "the Demon World" and pulled them in. It's not very believable, if you ask me; then again, I can't say anything about it. My excuse wouldn't be much more believable to people who don't know about the Gate, or my world on the other side..._

There was a long pause...

_Looks like I'm drifting again. I still miss my old friends. I also still owe that bastard colonel a good right hook (that should really hurt... he-he)._

_But, since I arrived, I've actually made a lot of progress in becoming a ninja. It only took me a few months to graduate the ninja academy. Now, almost a year after arriving here, I could become a Chunin. I don't know how to get back to you from here, Brother, so this is the only thing I can really do to try and feel closer to you. Who knows? Maybe there's a technique I could learn to actually open the Gate back home._

"Hey! If you don't hurry up and finish, I'm leaving without you!"

_Well, I gotta go, now. I can't really say I like this place, but I've gotten used to it. But, I'll never give up on finding you, Alphonse. I'll keep looking, no matter how long it takes._

_Edward Elric, Age 16_

_Genin of Squad 6 _

"Edward, this is the last time I'm going to call you! Get your ass out here, now!"

Ed grabbed his black, long-sleeved shirt off the back of the chair as he ran down the stairs. "I'm coming, already! Sheesh! You know, Yusuke, you've really got to learn to lighten up. You knew I wouldn't take long, I never do. And I told you already, I have no intention of being late."

"Whatever! Just come on. We're already cutting it close. We've gotta meet Kurama back at the ramen shop in ten minutes." With their headbands secured, the short, blonde-haired boy and his younger, but taller, black-haired friend leave to meet their third teammate.

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Remember, guys, I want to entertain you, so please, R&R. I need to know what you really think of this stuff.

P.S. This is my first fic, so please, be patient with me.


	2. A Returned Threat

*Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

* * *

**Ch. 2 "A Returned Threat"**

"Again!"

"What? Why?"

A woman with a cornrow hairdo, walked up to the kid with the black hair. "Your kick was low. Do it again!" Her fist came flying at his head, knocking him down to the ground.

"Damnit! What the hell was that for?"

"For arguing, slacker! Do it _again!_" Her kick sent him flying into a near-by tree. Edward could be heard guffawing several feet away, while Kurama sweat a bead of annoyance. The woman turned to her other two students. "Do you two want to be next? I didn't say to stop."

They both snapped back into their training practice. "Yes, Izumi-Sensei!" They continued to practice their techniques.

Yusuke got back up and dusted himself off, mumbling something under his breath, which Izumi let fly. "_(Hag...)_" He got back into place and started again.

"The other genin are nothing to sneeze at, and not just the other leaf ninja. You have to be ready for anything if you even expect to survive."

"Damn, I hate that woman! She reminds me too much of that old hag, Genkai. That training I went through was pure torture."

"True," Kurama interjected, "she is strict, but she has our best interests in mind. She wants to be sure we can regain our strength, Yusuke."

Edward cut in, "Yeah. She's just like I remember. Perfectionist, short-tempered, but sometimes really funny. I hated her and I loved her at the same time. I was actually starting to miss her, until I graduated and got her as my new sensei."

The three boys walked sorely along behind their sensei, who did nothing but contently listen to the conversation. She knew that they were no ordinary kids, and suspected some truth to the subject of their conversation. Suddenly, she stopped, and turned to the boys behind her. "Boys..."

They turned their attention to her. "Yes, Sensei?" Edward was the first to ask. He recognized that tone. His Izumi used it when she was seriously concerned over something.

However, she only stopped herself, shook her head, and said, "No, it's nothing. Never mind," and continued to lead the team to the ramen shop. _I can't shake this feeling in my stomach. I hope I'm just worrying over nothing..._

Her thoughts were stopped short though, when a man with short black hair bumped into her. She started to fly off at him for not watching where he was going, when he said loudly, "I'm sorry, miss. That was my fault. My mind was somewhere else."

Edward, who had been talking with his new friends, stopped cold. Fear and anxiety rushed through his head, and shown in his eyes. He forced his eyes to avoid the direction the man's voice came from. "_No..._"

Everyone else noticed his reaction. Kurama asked, "Edward, are you alright?"

_"It can't be..."_ he slowly looked in the direction of the voice, but the man quickly walked towards him.

As he came to Ed's side, he bent down and kept his face out of view, whispering, "Hey, Pipsqueak. Long time, no see. I hope you're ready. There's a big fight on the way, and you'll need to be in top condition to win." He straightened back up and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Ed hurriedly spun around to face him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The man turned back to acknowledge the boy to whom he had given an invaluable secret some time ago. He had the same black, spiky hair, and sunglasses, the same brown vest with fur trim, the same stone-gray chest, which could be easily mistaken for a tight undershirt.

He pulled off his shades and told Edward, "Hell if I know, kid. One minute, I'm telling you about the homunculi, and the next, I'm here in this world. But all you need to know is that a few old friends will be dropping by." He only offered a grin to the young alchemist. He bared his razor-like teeth, though not necessarily in a threatening manner. Then, turning back around, he finished with, "See ya at the exams, Squirt," and waved behind to the group, walking on.

Izumi asked inquisitively, "Edward, do you know that man?"

"Yeah, I do." He turned back to the group. "His name is Greed, and we need to be very careful around him. He's behavior is basic and he's easy to figure out, but his methods are hard to predict." Then, he turned back to the direction Greed walked away from them, and grinned slightly. "I wonder... This might actually be fun."

Izumi stared curiously for a moment. What could her pupil be talking about? Why did he seem particularly intrigued by this man? But, she decided now wasn't the time to dive into the subject. "Alright, that's enough of that. Let's go." The boys' attention was turned back to Izumi, who had already started walking again, so they almost naturally followed.

* * *

Well, like I said, please let me know what you think.

P.S. The next chapter starts the third round of the exams. Temari vs. Zaku


	3. Winds of the Exam

*Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Quick note: I took out Kabuto's team from the third round. He was, of course, helping Naruto and company, but the others ran into one of my teams and lost quickly.

*By the way, sorry for not updating for so long. I've had a lot of things to do.

* * *

**Ch. 3 "Winds of the Exam!"**

"Alright. The total count of genin who have made it here is 24," the Hokage said aloud for the entire arena to hear. "And the rules of the third test have been laid out for all of you. Now, for the first match," he said as he gave the floor to Hayate.

"Now, if you will all turn your attention to the screen," which had been introduced earlier by Anko, "we will have our first match."

On cue, the screen flashed on and began the random selection of genin for the first match. Everyone began watching in anticipation. After a long moment, the selection had been made: Temari vs. Zaku.

"Alright. Now that the first match has been selected, all other participants and instructors, please make your ways to the balcony."

Dosu walked beside his teammate with both arms in slings. "Are you sure you're ready to fight again? You remember, your arms were torn at the sockets."

"Don't you worry, Dosu. I know what I'm doing."

"Fine, just be careful." Dosu then left with everyone else as instructed. The only ones left were Temari of the Sand Village, and Zaku of the Sound Village.

_Well, well... Looks like I get to tear up the hottie of the Sound Village,_ Temari thought to herself.

"Now, if you two are ready," Hayate announced, "let the match begin!"

"This shouldn't take more than 30 seconds," she said confidently.

"You really think so? Because I might still have one good arm..." He began to twitch his left arm, and pulled it out of its sling. "And if you're as weak as anyone else here, one arm should be all I need!" He quickly stuck his arm out at Temari, shooting his chakra at her. She wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but she grabbed her fan to quickly block the attack. She moved so fast that no one saw it, but everyone felt a sudden burst of air. Zaku looked at her confused, "What did you do? Why aren't you hit?"

"You really want to know?" She held up her fan to make her point. "This is what I used." She opened it up to reveal a large red circle on the white cloth. "You see this red moon? Once three of them appear, this fight is over. You have no chance. Wind Scythe-no Jutsu!"

The wind that came from her fan knocked Zaku back against the wall. "GAAHHH!" He then fell on his stomach.

"You are so pitiful," she said, walking slowly towards him. "You talk tough, but in the end, at best, you only have half of your strength. And that won't do you any good at a-!" Here, she was cut short by a very sharp, intense pain in her belly. The force of this blow sent her flying back a few feet, sliding on her back. "W-what the hell was that?"

Zaku raised himself up on his good hand, while the other was shown to point at Temari. "You give me far too little credit, girl. We Sound ninja aren't like any of the others. You maybe able to move wind, but I can force air at the speed of sound, and I can do anything I want with it, aim it anywhere I want." He stood up, and started moving his other arm. "Now, I'm going to show you what I can really do." Zaku strained, putting both hands towards Temari, releasing a massive amount of his chakra, blowing her back even farther.

"See, I told you! Ha ha ha- huh?" He was surprised to see what happened next. As Temari was sent flying, she seemed to turn into sand, which flew all over the place.

"Wow! Did you see that? She just turned into sand!" There spoke up a young boy with short, blonde hair. Indeed, it was Squad 7's very own Number-One Hyperactive Knuckle-headed ninja, Naruto Uzumaki.

"It must be some kind of sand substitution." Sasuke spoke up.

"Not quite, Sasuke, but close." Kakashi now added his own two cents. "It's actually a sand clone. It's similar to Zabuza's Water Clone. But to use that advanced technique where there is no sand is quite a feat."

Back to Zaku. "What? Where did she go?"

"Wind Scythe-no Jutsu!" A violent wind came from above Zaku, knocking him off his feet. Temari had hidden on the ceiling, waiting to see Zaku's trump card. Now, she had jumped down, speeding towards the floor, and her opponent. "You're pitiful. I'm ending this now!" She pulled the fan out again, opening it up completely, and disappearing behind it. Once again, she was out of sight.

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Edward spoke up simultaneously, "Where did she go?"

Their question was answered only seconds later, when Temari reappeared inches behind Zaku. "Hi, there," she bent down to whisper in his ear. As he turned his head, she swung the fan by one end, slamming it into his head, sending him flying towards the other side of the arena. He skidded on the floor, eventually stopping in front of the wall. He wasn't moving.

Hayate took his cue, and started counting. "One... Two... Three..."

"Count to 1,000 if you want," Temari said as she put the fan back into her sash, and started to walk away. "He's not getting up."

Shikamaru spoke up, "Man, that was brutal."

"... Nine... Ten. The winner of the first round, Temari of the Sand Village."

As the medics arrived to pick up Zaku, Temari reached her squad. Gaara remained silent with his eyes closed. Kankuro, on the other hand, was quick to congratulate his sister. "That was pretty impressive, Temari. I didn't even see you make that clone."

"Now, to start the second match," Hayate spoke up so everyone could hear him. Everyone looked anxiously at the match board, waiting for the next pairing.

"Sasuke Uchiha vs. Choji Akimichi."

* * *

"Sasuke Uchiha is the winner."

Sasuke walked back up to rejoin his squad. Naruto couldn't help making a comment, "Poor guy never stood a chance against Sasuke's Sharingan."

"Yeah," Kakashi absent-mindedly swiped away Naruto's comment trying to meet a tired Sasuke. "Sasuke, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." Sasuke had a weary, tired look in his eyes.

"Yeah, well, just in case, you should come with me."

"What? But, I want to see the rest of the matches."

"I know, but I've let you slide long enough as it is. We don't want to leave anything to chance that we might regret later, now, do we?"

"_(Exasperated Grunt)_ You know, I hate it when you're right."

"Good, now let's go." Kakashi turned back to Sakura and Naruto. "You two pay attention and fill us in on what we miss." With that, before they could respond, Kakashi and Sasuke disappeared.

Sakura sighed, "I hate it when he does that."

Hayate grabbed everyone's attention once again, "Now for the third match..." The screen randomly selected the next contestants. "Yusuke Urameshi vs. Shino Aburame. Will the two contestants please come down to the floor." A minute later, the two genin stood face to face.


	4. Buggin' The Detective

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Remimber, this story is primarily a chronicle of Edward Elric, after the Gate took him to this new world (alternate ending). It involves Yusuke and Kurama, two other characters who meet him after also being brought to this world. This entire story will be mainly about these characters, although I will involve them with Naruto and his group, too.

_**

* * *

**_Ch. 4 - "Buggin' the Detective"

"Now, the third match, Yusuke Urameshi vs. Shino Aburame." Hayate stood in the center of the floor, between the next two contenders. "Whenever you're ready, let the match begin." Hayate then stepped back to the platform at the front of the stadium.

The boys stood quietly in the middle of the arena for a moment, until Yusuke broke the silence. "So, you're Shino. I hear you're good with bugs." Yusuke was up to his old tricks, trying to stall so he could feel out his apponent's energy. However, he couldn't get this kid's sign.

"You could say that. They certainly come in handy at times," is all Shino replied.

"Well, I guess one of us should start the fight, huh? And since you're not moving," Yusuke moved quickly, "I'll go first!"

_He's fast,_ Shino thought to himself in surprise. _However,_ he relaxed suddenly, _I'm used to fast._ Yusuke appeared to the left of Shino, giving a strong left hook that nearly came into contact with him. However, Shino's reflexes were just fast enough to avoid it. He bent back, bracing his hands on the ground behind him, and raising his feet, giving Yusuke a good belt on the chin.

Yusuke was tossed back, but recovered fast on all-fours, and wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "No one's dodged me like _that_ in a while. Keep that up, and we might just have a good fight." Shino stood back up and just adjusted his shades. "Now, bug-boy, dodge this!" Yusuke got back up and started running back to Shino.

_What, again?_ Shino thought as he prepared himself for the same attack. However, Yusuke pulled his punch at the last second, vanishing from sight. "What, where is he?"

"WHOA!! Did you see that?!" Naruto nearly jumped over the rail of the balcony. "He just disappeared!" Naruto visibly had trouble containing his excitement.

Sakura spoke up right beside him. "He didn't use any kind of jutsu at all. He must be really fast."

"Yes, he is. However, he's not as fast as he used to be." Sakura and Naruto looked to their left, finding Kurama, as well as Edward, perhaps the oddest group of genin in the village. Kurama continued, "I've seen him move much faster than this. I can still keep up with his movements."

Naruto spoke up, "Hey, so... You guys are the ones everyone keeps talking about? You're the guys who became ninja in just a few months?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. That's right," an aloof Edward chimed into the conversation. "It wasn't too much trouble for Kurama or me. But Yusuke needed a lot of help."

Sakura noticed that even though Ed was talking to them, he was facing away in a different direction. "Hey, Edward, what are you looking at, the fight?" However, he didn't respond. He just continued to chew the thumb of his glove with his front teeth. Sakura noticed the gloves on Ed's hand, but was going to be nice and let it go. However...

"Hey, Ed, what's with the gloves?" Naruto just didn't seem to know when to avoid a subject. However, Edward just continued to stare, paying no attention to the younger, equally short blonde. "And aren't you supposed to be older than us? So why are you so short?"

"HN!!" Edward instantly dropped his inquisitive glare on his previous target, replacing it with one of anger, and slowly facing Naruto. "What.. did.. you.. say?.." Calling him "short" is a sure way to gain his undivided attention.

As Kurama, Sakura, and Izumi-Sensei fought to hold Edward back from the frightened, bone-headed Naruto, the preliminary match between Yusuke and Shino continued. "Come on, where are you?" Shino whispered to himself.

Yusuke reappeared above Shino, just as quickly as he disappeared. "HERE I AM!!" With that, before Shino could even react, Yusuke delivered a massive right jab to the top of his head. "Yeah! Huh?" Yusuke thought he had dealt a hard blow the insect child, only to find that he began to disperse in a cloud of bugs. "Yyaahhh!! Bugs! Bugs! Get 'em off! Get 'em off!" Yusuke started dancing around, swinging his arms to get the insects off. He didn't know anything about them. He just didn't like bugs.

"So, what do you think? Is that impressive enough for you?" Shino came into view only a few feet away from the former detective.

"How the hell did you do that?!"

"Well, that's my little secret," Shino said as he readjusted his shades again.

"Okay, well, I guess I have to do this now. I didn't think it would be necessary, though." Yusuke raised his arm up in front of his face, pointing his finger.

Edward was calmed down now, so everyone was able to watch the fight again, meaning Kurama watched as Yusuke raised his arm. "No, Yusuke," he whispered, almost to himself. "You know the damage that attack can do, even now!"

Hearing this, Sakura couldn't control her curiosity. "What do you mean? What is he about to do? Is that some sort of hand sign for a jutsu?"

"Not quite. This isn't really a ninja technique, what you call a jutsu. It's more of a massive release of raw energy." Kurama raised his eyes to face the young, pink-haired girl. "And to make matters worse for his foes, he has three different variations. This is actually the weakest of the three."

"You're kidding!" Naruto yelled to the red-haired kitsune. "So, what about Shino? What's he gonna do? Is he gonna be alright?"

"Hard to say..."

"Alright, kid," Yusuke said with his right index finger extended. "You forced me to do this." Then, energy started to concentrate around his finger.

"Hey," Shikamaru said on the other side of Squad 7. "Anyone else feel that? This guy's about to use a lot of chakra. You can actually see it, now." Everyone else who heard looked more closely, finding that light was, indeed, shining from Yusuke's finger.

"Please, Yusuke, release it early. This contest isn't that important." Kurama was visibly worried about his teammate. "Don't let your competative side get you again..."

Shino thought to himself again, _So, all he's doing is releasing his chakra. Ha, he doesn't know anything about my insects._ Shino just held his arms out, allowing the bugs to start crawling around his hands. "Try it."

"Spirit Gun!" Yusuke released his energy in a massive blast, twice the size of a person's head, traveling straight towards Shino. "Let's see you dodge that!"

"NOW!!" A large group of bugs jumped out of Shino's sleeves, nearly stopping the blast in place as they covered it. After about a minute, Shino started getting worried. "Wow! That must be a lot of energy. It's not disolving." Suddenly, the energy exploded, knocking back both fighters. As Yusuke landed on his back and rolled on his shoulder, tearing his shirt (he was dressed like when he fought Sensui), Shino disappeared into a cluster of bugs again, dispersing into the air.

Sakura jumped with excitement over this new attack. "Whoa! Did you see that?! He just released his chakra as an attack!"

_Isn't that what that Kurama guy just said?_ Shikamaru thought to himself as he watched her excited dancing with slight annoyance.

"Ow! Okay, that hurt!" Yusuke could be heard mumbling to himself as he slowly got back up. "Okay, Shino. I give up. Where are you?"

"Right here," Shino reappeared again, right behind Yusuke, attacking him with the insects. Shino stuck his hands onto Yusuke's back, sending a swarm of insects to cover Yusuke's body. "Now you'll see what my bugs are capable of!"

"Aargghh! Like hell! Get off me!!" Yusuke spun around quickly, batting his arm against him, and somehow actually hitting him, sending him flying right into the wall of the arena. "Damn bugs! I said, 'Get _OFF_!!'" Yusuke suddenly flexed his chakra to blow the bugs off of his body, nearly straining it to do so. Once he didn't see or feel any more bugs, he stopped moving frantically, and started panting. "For crying out loud, why am I suddenly so tired?"

"Well," Shino said as he got back to his feet, bruised and bleeding, "if you're _so_ curious, I suppose I could tell you. It's because of my insects. You see, I have a nearly-endless supply of them, and they feed off of your chakra."

"Well, well, there actually _is_ a weapon that can beat that fool of a detective after all. And I thought _he_ would be the biggest problem." A figure among three stood on the balcony opposite of Naruto and Edward's groups. A short ninja, between two others, both at least a foot and a half taller.

"Alright, well, one way or another, only one of us is walking away the winner of this fight," Yusuke said after recovering his breath. "And since we've already gone this far, we can't just wuss out _now_, can we?"

"You're right. An good fight deserves a good finish." Shino raised his hands up to form a hand sign. "Now, I'm going to show you a _real_ attack. Insect Revenge-no Jutsu!" There, Shino dispersed once again in a cloud of bugs, which seemed to disappear like sand in a storm. "See if you can beat this!"

"Yeah? Just watch me." Yusuke raised his hands in front of himself, to form a few hand signs of his own. "You want a fight? Try this! Blind Flash-no Jutsu!" Then, Yusuke closed his eyes, and seemed to seperate, almost like a cloning jutsu. However, these were not clones. There was still only one of him. By the time he had finished, there were three of them, flashing at super-high speeds, with their eyes still closed. "Now," heard from three voices, all his, "let's see what you got left."

"Wow! Just look at him! Where did he learn a jutsu like that?" Sakura just stood in awe of this new technique that she was witnessing. "It looks like a Cloning-no Jutsu, but he seperated, instead of clones appearing out of nowhere."

Naruto quickly followed her comment, "How much chakra does he need for a move like that? It feels like more than I use on my Shadow Clones."

"That's very likely, Naruto." Izumi said to the young ninja, who turned to her response. "You see, there's a reason these students graduated the academy so quickly. They all have techniques unlike anything this village has ever seen. These two, Edward and Kurama, are pure geniuses, able to use their heads to get out of almost any situation. Yusuke, on the other hand," Izumi tried to gather the right words. "Well, he's smart enough to have graduated with them, but what makes _him_ so special is that the level of chakra he posesses is nothing short of astounding. To be honest, I believe _his_ chakra could rival that of the Nine-Tailed Fox."

Naruto thought about this statement. _The Nine-Tailed Fox... The Kyuubi. I don't even know how to tap into that energy._ He turned back to the fight, watching the three Yusukes. _And this guy fights with that kind of energy all the time._ He turned his head back, this time to face Kurama. _Plus, Kurama said he used to have even _more _than this._ He looked back again, clenching his fists at his sides. _If he wins, and I go up against him, how can I win? How can I possibly beat someone like that? What chance do _I_ have of becoming Hokage if I lose to him?!_ Then, Naruto stopped, and thought about the other two ninja. _And what about these guys? Even if they don't have the same amount of chakra as Yusuke, since they're teammates, they _must_ be able to fight just as well as him, if not _better. He started to sweat._ Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to participate in these exams after all._

Back in the fight, Yusuke's eyes remained closed, forcing him to sense the energy around him, trying to predict where Shino would come from. _Where are you?_ Suddenly, out of nowhere, a swarm of insects jabbed towards him. However, one of the flash-clones moved like lightning, tossing a punch and breaking up the spike-like formation. Almost immediately, another swarm of insects came from another direction. Another flash-clone moved to block that one as well. Then, yet another group appeared again. The third flash-clone moved to block that one.

The barrage of bugs continued their assault on the Yusuke clones. Soon, Shino's voice could be heard from thin air. "I know you can't last much longer, Yusuke. Every time you attack my bugs, they consume more of your chakra, reducing your speed, strength, and the amount of time you can keep up this jutsu."

Sure enough, Yusuke soon began to lose his breath again, and could not hold his jutsu much longer. "Damn it, I don't believe I can't beat this guy. It's like the more energy I use, the stronger he fights back. But if I don't use any energy, he'll just turn into a bunch of bugs and disappear again. Damn, this sucks."

"You're off-guard!"

Shino's voice shook up the already unstable Yusuke, forcing him to re-open his eyes. "Oh, crap!" As his eyes opened, his flashing clones were pulled violently back into one person. "Aaahhh!!" At the same time that Yusuke came back together, another swarm of insects was headed for him, with the exact same moment of impact. However, the clones were conjoined with such force that they created a shock wave, shattering the swarm, and killing the bugs. The entire building felt the shock, with dusty debris falling from the ceiling, knocking most of the ninja back, and some (including Naruto) off their feet and on their backs or butts. Yusuke had momentarily collapsed because of the shock. The insects had stopped attacking as well.

"Ohh... What was that?" Sakura tried to hold herself up on the rail.

"That was an unfortunate effect of Yusuke's technique," Kurama answered, nearly unphased, the same as Edward (although now, Ed had to pay attention again), and Izumi. "There are two draw-backs to Yusuke's Blind Flash. One is the amount of energy it consumes. It is a highly advanced technique, which he actually developed, himself. Unfortunately, it just requires too much energy to sustain for a long period of time." Kurama turned to face Sakura. "The second fault is in the name itself. In order for it to work, Yusuke's eyes must remain closed. Only when the sense of sight is closed can one find the awareness required for this move. And considering the teacher he used to train under," Kurama turned back to the floor, "he was probably forced to find it long ago."

Edward decided to finally come into the conversation. "This is only the second time he's used the technique. So, he could still try do develope it a little more, maybe at least to reduce the shock when he reconjoins."

Sakura looked at the blonde-headed boy. "Hey, you've sure been quiet lately. Why are you suddenly talking now?"

"Well, what can I say? I'm just odd that way! Besides, all your talking is making it hard to concentrate on the match."

"You're exhausted," Shino said as he reappeared, this time in the air. His upper body was entirely reformed, but his legs had been replaced by a swarm of bugs, holding him up. "It's not difficult to see. You're nearly out of chakra, and you can't keep going."

Yusuke slowly got back up to his feet, and looked up at the sight in the air. "Ya know, I've fought a lot freaks before, but you definitely take the cake. You're even weirder than this guy I fought named Jin. And _he_ controled the air." Then, with the last of his strength, Yusuke pulled one foot back behind the other, raised his hands to one side, and started gathering chakra again. "But, I've never just sat back and let my opponents beat me before, and I sure as hell ain't gonna start now." Chakra could once again be seen gathering between his hands.

"No, Yusuke! Stop!" Kurama yelled in defiance of his teammate and friend. "You know what could happen if--"

"Shut up, Kurama! I don't have enough energy left to kill this kid, so there's no danger here." Yusuke visibly had trouble controling the energy gathered between his hands. _Please, just let this last attack work._

"You won't be able to finish that last attack of yours," Shino told him from his perch in the air. "Every second you try to use it, you lose even more of your chakra."

_He's right. I don't know why, but I'm losing even more energy than usual now._ Yusuke could feel himself getting weaker, just like Shino said. "Well, it's now or never!" Yusuke proceeded to absorb his energy straight into his arm. "_Spirit Wave!!_" He dumped all the energy he had left into his shot. However, there was almost no energy there, and it disappeared halfway bewteen the fighters, leaving only a gust of wind. "Huh?! What the hell was that?!"

"Yusuke, on your neck! They're his insects!" Kurama yelled. Yusuke put his hands to his neck. Sure enough, there were several of Shino's insects, attached to the boy's skin.

"Now, it's time to end this." Shino disappeared once again, and reappeared next to Yusuke, giving him a good, hard kick in the stomach. Yusuke flew several feet, and landed on the ground, almost helpless. "This fight is over." Shino calmly stated, placing his hands back in his jacket.

"Well, I guess I should start counting." Hayate started counting as he was appointed.

"I don't believe it," Izumi stated, stunned that one of her students had actually lost. "No one has ever beated Yusuke before. And Shino just did it like it was nothing."

"Nine... Ten. The winner of the second match is Shino Aburame. (_cough_). "

The medics quickly came to get Yusuke, finding a bit of a surprise. Yusuke was hardly even injured. And he was snoring. Everyone in the building could hear him.

"Well," Kurama tried to look positively, "at least he isn't hurt."

"Hey!" Edward called to the medics carrying away Yusuke. "He might want something to eat when he wakes up!"

"Ugh..." Izumi put a finger to her forhead, perturbed at her students. "Why me?"

Once Shino was back up with Kiba, Hinata, and their teacher, Kurenai, he was hearing non-stop complements, congratulations, and questions.

"Alright," Hayate called everyone's attention again. "Everyone, please watch the screen for the fourth match." Everyone watched with anticipation as the names continued to scroll randomly. Finally, two names stopped on the screen: "Kankuro vs. Kiba Inuzuka."

"Alright. For the fourth match, we have Kiba Inuzuka (_cough_) against Kankuro. Please come down to the floor." As Kankuro and Kiba proceeded to the floor, most of the ninja continued to watch. However, Edward and Kurama had their attention focused elsewhere.

"Edward," Kurama whispered in Ed's ear. "I understand how surprised you must be, but dwelling will only make you feel worse."

"I know, I know," Edward answered quietly.

Kurama knew what Edward had been focusing on since entering the room: Across the balcony stood three other ninja, familiar to both Edward and Kurama (Yusuke, too). One member of the group, they had already met, Greed. Another, even shorter than Ed, with high-risen hair, Hiei, who had apparrently gotten a new sword, a broadswoard, which lie strapped across his back. And last, most disturbing to Edward, hadn't even batted a glance to him. Dressed in black, like Ed, with a red coat that looked exactly like his old one, was his younger brother, Alphonse, who looked as if his body had aged normally inside the Gate.

"I just don't get it. What the hell are they doing here?.."

_**

* * *

**_This one was longer than the other chapters, I know. But it still didn't seem to have as much action as the series. Still, I hope you're satisfied. Please, review.


	5. Strength of Flowers

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: From this point on, I will be using the suffixes "-chan" and "-kun" occasionally, as signs of affection.

* * *

Ch. 5 "The Strength of Flowers"

"Eight... Nine... Ten. And the winner of the fourth match is Kankuro (_cough_)."

"Poor kid, he had no idea what he was up against." Kankuro stood triumphantly, without a single scratch on his body, while Kiba and Akamaru lie bleeding, helpless, and unconscious on the floor. "He's lucky I decided to go easy on 'im." He then turned to head back to his group as the medics came to take Kiba and his inu.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Ino said, disappointed that the match lasted less than five minutes. "Kiba fell right into that trap."

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, right beside her, "well, I didn't see _you_ catching anything in that fight."

"Will you guys keep it down? We can't hear the opponents of the next match with you guys talking like that." Sakura didn't want to miss the next pairing.

"Alright, now the opponents of the next match will be selected (_cough_). Please watch." As everyone watched in anticipation, the random selection seemed to go on forever, until it finally stopped: "Kurama Minamino vs. Sakura Haruno."

"What?!" Sakura yelled. "I have to fight Kurama?" She looked over to him. She couldn't believe it. The person she had been having a reasonably nice conversation with only moments earlier, was now her opponent.

However, Kurama didn't quite display the same reaction. He looked at Sakura, and smiled. "Well, this should be a fun match. Would you like to go first?" He stepped to the side, allowing her an opportunity to pass. Not able to say "no" to such a gentlemanly gesture, she started past him, with a small "thanks," and led the way down the steps to the center of the arena gloomily.

_I can't believe it. Just a few minutes ago, I was having a nice conversation with him, but now..._ She trailed in thought. _Why do _I_ have to be the one to fight him? Izumi basically said that he thinks on his feet. Ohh!! This is going to be really difficult!_

"Sakura," Kurama snapped her out of her little thought bubble. "You know, you are allowed to forfeit the match if you aren't confident in your abilities." Kurama could see that she was having trouble with the thought of fighting him.

As Sakura was about to respond, another, more familiar voice rang through the building. "No way, Sakura-chan! You can't forfeit!" Of course! As always, Naruto was completely oblivious to the forces and emotions at work around him. He had no clue that Sakura was either scared _or_ worried. "You can beat that guy, I know it! Show him what you're made of!"

"Naruto, will you be quiet, already? You're giving me a headache." Naruto heard a voice behind him, and found that Kakashi-Sensei was finally back.

"Kakashi-Sensei!! You're back!!" Naruto jumped up to latch around his teacher's neck.

_Naruto-kun..._ Sakura thought as she looked up at her teammate. Suddenly, her resolve got stronger. "I have my answer," she said, as she turned back to the red-head in front of her. "My teammates always take on any challenge, no matter how tough. And now, I'm going to do the same."

"Oh, please," Hiei blurted out silently from the balcony. "Sentiments such as that make me gag."

Kurama watched as the fire in her eyes brightened. "I see," he said as he smiled again. "So, can I count on you to give me everything you've got?"

"Yeah."

"Very well, then." Hayate said. "Let the fifth match commence."

"The first move is yours," Kurama offered graciously.

"Alright, here I come!" She took hold of her kunai and ran right for him without hesitation.

"I see. So, you like to start quickly, do you?" Kurama asked as he took a stance to prepare himself for her attack.

"Now!" At the last second, as Sakura was mere inches from him, she jumped into the air.

"Ah! She jumped!" Kurama looked up in the air, in the opposite direction.

"Take this!" Sakura tossed six of her kunai towards the kitsune, followed immediately by forming handsigns.

_She tossed six of them,_ he thought as he jumped back to avoid them, _followed by the signs for a jutsu. She's more skilled than I expected._ After jumping, Kurama and Sakura both landed on the ground at the same time. "Well, I see you deserve more credit than I originally gave you."

"Heh! You ain't seen nothin' yet! Clone-no Jutsu!" Sakura then created five clones, making six Sakura in total. "Now, dodge this!" With that, all six Sakura each tossed a hand-full of shurikin at him.

_Eh!_ He thought to himself. _There are too many to figure out which is the real set!_ Kurama jumped into the air. "That was close."

"Surprise."

"Huh?!" Kurama looked up above him, finding a surprise. "No! Another clone! I missed it?!"

"CHYAA!!" Sakura released the chakra that held her to the ceiling, and jumped straight at Kurama. "Take THIS!!" She jabbed her right fist as hard as she could into Kurama's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. He saw now that all the others were clones. This was the real Sakura. She had hidden herself up on the ceiling to draw him into a trap. Then, as Kurama started to drift down, away from her, she grabbed the hemn of his folded shirt (the same as in the Dark Tournament), and prepared to land another punch to his face, when he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Huh?" Since they were falling back to the ground, she quickly found that in her hand was a flower, a thornless rose. "What? A flower?" She let go of it and turned to land safely on the ground.

A second later, Kurama landed only a foot behind her. "You really _are_ a good fighter. I must make a point not to let my guard down again." He raised himself up at the same time as her. "Now, it's my turn." With that, Kurama formed his own hand signs. "Shadow Clone-no Jutsu."

"What? Shadow clones?" Sakura was stunned to find another genin using the same forbidden jutsu as Naruto.

"Whoa!! He know's the Shadow Clone-no Jutsu, too?!" Naruto yelled from the balcony. "I thought _I_ was the only one who could do that."

"This is nothing," Edward said from the side. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino all looked at him inquisitively. "Right now, Kurama is going easy on her. He's got techniques that make this look like a simple kid's trick."

"What are ya talkin' about? The Shadow Clone-no Jutsu is one of the hardest jutsus to master!" Naruto said, offended at how little Edward seemed to appreciate what _he_ considered his best jutsu. However, Edward just continued to ignore the younger blonde boy and watch the match.

"Now," one of Kurama's shadow clones said as they all made the same hand signs, "let's see if you can withstand this move. Fire style: Phoenix Flower-no Jutsu!" With that, Kurama's clones started spitting fire towards the surprised Sakura.

"Wait! What?!" Kakashi said, openly surprised at the strength of this other genin. "How can he perform both the Shadow Clone _and_ a fire jutsu? He must have as much chakra as Naruto! Or more!"

"What?! I don't believe it! He knows Sasuke's jutsu, too?" Sakura started trying her best to avoid each fireball. Unfortunately, a few managed to scrape her and singe her clothing, and one or two made a direct hit. "Ow... I gotta learn a better defense for that technique," she said, out of breath, as the rain of fire stopped.

"So, Sakura, are you ready to forfeit, yet, or do I have to keep attacking?"

"I already told you." Sakura got up to her feet, with another kunai in hand in front of her. "I'll see this fight through to the very end."

Kurama smirked again, as his shadow clones disappeared. "Good. I didn't want to end this match with you that quickly." He put his hands back up again, ready for another attack. "I hope we can keep it interesting."

"I'll give you interesting," Sakura stated, running towards him. What she didn't know, was that she was smiling while she said it.

* * *

Okay, so this one is a little short, compared to my last chapter. But hey, I'm working on it. I fixed the filter, so readers can review more easily now. So please, give me your your love, your hate, your desire to break my bones for doing something you don't like about this story.


	6. The Lovely Blossom and the Deadly Thorn

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

* * *

Ch. 6 "The Lovely Blossom and the Deadly Thorn"

"I had hoped this match wouldn't end so quickly." Kurama released his Shadow Clones, and stood poised for attack. "I hope we can keep this match interesting."

"Yeah, me too," Sakura stated, running towards him, and smiling. Kurama then took out his own kunai, anticipating her attack. Now, instead of pulling any more tricks, Sakura and Kurama were fighting with only their kunai and bare hands. Sakura slashed at Kurama's side, while he narrowly escaped it, grabbing her arm, and punching her in the stomach. She quickly recovered, and tried to kick his ankles out from under him, succeeding with one. He began to lose his balance, and she quickly landed a few blows, tossing him about ten feet in the opposite direction.

"I don't understand. What the hell could Kurama be thinking?" Hiei said from the balcony, watching his old partner get tossed around. "He's never toyed around with an opponent for this long. And I know he's better than this." Hiei scoffed at the red-head on the floor. "His time among the humans has made him weak, and foolish."

"Maybe he has some sort of secret strategy that he's working on," Greed said from behind him. "You said that he was a mastermind, and that he liked to find a person's weaknesses to take full advantage of them."

"No, this is no strategy. He's just acting like a fool, allowing himself to be beaten."

"Maybe, he has something else in mind," Hiei heard from the opposite side. It was Alphonse. "Maybe he doesn't really want to hurt her." Al leaned his head towards the short demon, and gave a sly face. "Maybe he likes her."

"You must be kidding," Hiei said, slightly disgusted with the idea. "He really _is_ a fool if he allows himself to fall victom to such a pointless emotion."

Now, Kurama had gotten back up, and ran towards Sakura, ready to land a few more punches and kicks. However, at the last second he pulled his punches and jumped, stepping on top of her head, and jumping several feet into the air. "Now, dodge this!" Kurama then tossed his kunai towards the young pink-headed girl, who barely dodged it by an inch. "Shuriken Strike!" Kurama then proceeded to hurl a barrage of shuriken at her. This proved to be nearly as difficult as his Phoenix fire.

After several minutes of this fighting, both fighters had become worn out and tired. "Yeah, come on, Sakura-chan! You got him on the ropes!" Naruto cheered for his favorite girl again. "He's almost finished!"

"I wouldn't count on that just yet, Naruto," Edward said from his side.

"Urgg.. Who the hell asked you?! Why do you gotta keep putting my Sakura-chan down, anyway?"

"I am _not your_ 'Sakura-chan!'" Sakura yelled at him from the arena.

Edward continued, "I'm not putting her down. I'm saying that Kurama has more to work with than this. I don't understand why he's holding back." Edward seemed genuinely confused.

Sakura overheard Edward's little comment, and questioned her opponent about it. "Kurama, is he telling the truth? Are you holding out on me?"

_Edward, why are you so dense?_ Kurama thought to himself. Then, he sighed. "Yes, it's true. However, I only wanted to avoid unnecessary injuries."

Sakura started to show anger. "What? That's your excuse? Well, I don't know whether to be insulted that you don't think I can handle it," then, she changed her expression to one slightly more forgiving, "or flattered that you're so worried about me." She paused for a moment. "But I've been giving you all I've got, and I expect _you_ to do the same if you really have any respect for me as a fighter."

"Fine." Kurama gave in quite quickly. "I didn't want to use this move until later. However, I suppose, if you really wish for me to, than I have no choice." Then, Kurama reached into his shirt, and pulled out a single rose.

"Huh? A rose? What the heck's he gonna do with a rose?" Naruto looked on, dumfounded at this new tool of choice.

"Now watch," Edward said from the side, with a smirk. "This is where things start to get interesting. This move should end the match right now."

"Now, Sakura, you shall get what you asked for," Kurama stated as he held the rose up to his face. "But I warn you, do not underestimate this attack. Such a mistake has a devistating price. Rose Whip!" He then span it around his head, transforming this small, almost harmless flower into his favorite weapon, a giant whip with large, razor-like thorns. It came to a rest in front of him, weaving back and forth, reaching a length of almost fifteen feet.

"WHOA!! Did he just turn that flower into _that_ thing?!" Naruto yelled in disbelief.

"Now _that_," Kakashi said from behind Naruto, "is an impressive jutsu. Edward, do you understand these techniques of his?"

Ed turned to face the inquisitive teacher. "Huh? Yeah, I understand them just fine." He turned back to face the fight again. "He just uses his chakra, as you guys call it, to transform his rose into a weapon. He can actually use almost any kind of plant to his advantage."

"So, in places with lots of plants, he has a bigger advantage?" Shikamaru asked Ed out of curiosity.

"Hm? Yeah, I guess so."

"So," Sakura started, "are you going to attack me, or what?"

"As you wish." With that, Kurama took the first swing with his whip, aiming for Sakura's feet.

He performed the attack with such speed that she avoided the whip by less than an inch. "Whoa, that was close," Sakura said in mid air. Instantly, Kurama drew back his whip and attacked again. _Crap!_ Sakura thought as she tried to quickly perform the Substitution-no Jutsu. "UH!!" Just before she could complete the final sign, though, the whip made a direct hit, with the thorns digging into her shoulder, and slinging her down to the ground.

"SAKURA!!" Naruto and Rock Lee yelled at the same time, as they watched the brutal fight. Naruto continued, "Damn it, how the hell does he do that?"

"I told you," Edward said, indignently. "No ninja has ever recovered after being hit by his Rose Whip. Even if she can get back up, there's no way she can beat him."

Kurama drew his whip back into his hand, twirling it up around his fist. "Whoa, look at that," Shikamaru said, amazed (which is unusual for him). "That thing tore Sakura's shirt and shoulder like a soft steak, but he can hold it in his hand without a scratch."

Lee looked on with great concern. On one balcony, there stood all five Leaf Village squads. In order from the steps, Team GUY (that's what it's actually called); Squad Six, with Edward, Kurama, and Yusuke; Squad Seven, with Naruto and the gang; Squad Ten, with Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji; and Squad Eight, with Hinata, Shino, and Kiba. On the other balcony stood the other three squads, Team Baki (with Gaara); the sound ninja; as well as Greed, Hiei, and Alphonse Elric (whom I will dub, 'Team Kuro').

Lee had been watching the fight with passion in his eyes, silently rooting for Sakura the entire time. "I do not believe it. This technique is unlike any I have ever seen before." He turned to face his sensei, the ever- and always, self-important Might Guy. "Guy-Sensei, what kind of ninja are they, to perform such attacks?"

"Well, Lee," Guy stated, "these kids are truely extraordinary ninja. I've never seen moves like this in my life. That Kurama seems like an interesting fighter. He could even give _you_ a run for your money. However," he started, in an unsure manner, "I'm really interested in that blonde kid with him." Then, he turned his head to look at the other balcony. "But I'm _worried_ about those other guys, the tall one, the other blonde, and the short one with the tall, black hair. I'm getting a bad feeling from them."

Back in the fight, Kurama started running towards Sakura, who was down on her hands and knees, trying to get back up. He jumped from a few feet away, ready to attack with his whip around his hand. Sakura looked up, and managed to avoid a direct blow. As a few of the thorns scratched her hip, tearing even more holes in her clothes, Kurama's attack was strong enough to create a small crater in the floor. "My god! Did you see that?" Shikamaru stated while the others around him remained stuned. "A direct hit from that kind of move could put any of us out like a light."

Sakura rolled a few feet, finally stopping as Kurama pulled his vine-covered fist from the floor, pulling up small chunks of cement with it. She then managed to get back up on her feet. "Wha-? You did that?"

Kurama brought his hand back up to his chest, ready to attack yet again. "This is what you wanted, is it not? Now, you must fight me to the end, like you promised!" He immediately jumped up into the air, towards her again.

_Oh, no!_ Sakura quickly thought to herself. _I can barely move right now. There's no way I can dodge these attacks of his now, especially as fast as he is. But if I don't, who _knows_ what could happen to me._ She crossed her arms in front of her._ I guess I don't have a choice. I'll just have to see how fast I can go._ Then, she jumped back, avoiding another dangerous blow.

"Yeah! Go, Sakura-chan!! That's how it's done!" Naruto jumped for joy, seeing his teammate with her fight back. However, she didn't have much confidence in herself, with one bad shoulder and a deep scratch on her hip, not to mention the fatigue from the entire fight.

"It's no use, Sakura," Kurama said as he continued to chase after her. "This fight will not last much longer."

"Then I'll just have to stop messing around!" Sakura managed to finally stop jumping back, and jumped towards him from the side, quickly pulling out another kunai and aiming for Kurama's side.

_What?!_ Kurama pulled back quickly enough to avoid a near-fatal cut. Then, both fighters stopped. "You're still much better than I would have expected. I suppose I cannot afford to let this go on any longer." He then rose up and faced Sakura, unraveling his Rose Whip from his hand (which didn't have a scratch). "Sakura, I consider it an honor to have fought you," he said as he swung his arm back, readying the whip, then attacking again.

Sakura jumped up to dodge the attack again, missing by mere inches. "You don't really think you can hit me again, do you?"

"Yes, I do," she heard a voice say from above her.

"Sakura, watch out!" Naruto yelled in a worried tone.

She looked up, surprised at what she saw. There, falling at an incredible speed towards her, was Kurama. "What? But how--?" Then, she remembered. _Wait a minute, is this one of his shadow clones? I thought he released that jutsu. Unless..._ Then, her eyes widened in realisation. _Unless he _didn't_ really release them. He just kept one, and placed it on the ceiling, waiting for the perfect time to strike! Izumi was right..._ Sakura started to smile again. _He _is_ brilliant._

Then, as Kurama reached her, he took hold of her, holding her tightly to his body as he continued to descend. A second later, the two smashed into the floor, causing a loud bang, and a large puff of smoke and debris. The shadow clone had tossed Sakura flatly onto the ground, and disappeared as he touched it, leaving most of the impact for her.

Naruto stood, speachless, as the smoke and dust cleared, revealing a battered Sakura lying unconscious on the floor. Lee appeared equally shocked. After a moment of no movement, Hayate re-entered, "Time to start the count (_cough_). One... Two... Three... Four..." Kurama released his manipulation on the rose, returning it to its natural state, and placed it back in his shirt. "Five... Six... Seven (_cough_)..."

"Sakura, I don't believe it..."

"Eight..."

"That punk just beat her," Naruto and Lee quietly said, simultaniously. "With _my_ jutsu..."

"Nine (_cough_)..."

"I guess he still knows when to stop fooling around and go for the kill."

"Ten. The winner of the fifth match is Kurama Minamino of Squad Six."

"I told you he'd win," Edward stated almost boastfully.

"Well," Shikamaru looked on almost with concern. "_She_ won't be waking up any time soon."

As the medics came to get Sakura, Kurama stopped them. "It's alright, she won't need medical treatment. She simply needs a little rest." He then bent down, put his arms under her and turned her on her back, and carried her back up to the balcony, meeting a surprised Naruto and Lee.

* * *

Sorry, Sakura fans. But, it's not all bad. Please, continue to read. Later, I'll have a little surprise for you (I hope). Next, the two speed demons fight. If you don't know who I'm talking about, then I guess you'll just have to wait. It should be good.

Please... Give me a review, already.


	7. Breaking the Speed Limit

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

* * *

Ch. 7 "Breaking the Speed Limit"

"Well, it sure took you long enough," Edward told the red-head, as he set Sakura against the wall to continue sleeping soundly. "What were you waiting for, an invitation?"

"I simply desired a good fight, Edward. Believe it or not, some of us might want to enjoy these matches."

Ed just looked to the other direction, a little angry. "Yeah, right. I don't know why you insist on drawing out fights like that, anyway. Do you have any idea how much danger it can put us in against a real enemy?"

"Will you both just shut up?.." Naruto growled to the two of them. "What right do you have to just toy around with someone like that, you red-haired freak?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I had no other choice."

"Don't give me that crap!" Naruto ran up to Kurama and grabbed him by the collar. "Do you know what kind of damage that could have done to her?!"

"Naruto, that's enough!" Kakashi said sternly from behind him, making him flinch. "It was a fair fight. Kurama did nothing dishonorable. Like it or not, Sakura lost, and you have to accept it."

"But..." Naruto started, trying to think of something. "What he did to her..."

"I promise you, Naruto," Kurama stated calmly. "Her injuries are minor. The impact was only enough to incapacitate her. She will be awake shortly, and will fully recover quickly."

"Wha..?" Naruto loosened his grip, surprised. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, now," Ed said flatly, as he stepped forward to grab the rail to hold his weight, staring at Alphonse, who still didn't seem to be paying attention. "You won, without killing. That's what matters."

"Now, please watch the screen for the sixth match (_cough_)," Hayate got everyone's attention.

"I hope the fight is more interesting this time," Hiei said with a slight attitude.

"Well, maybe something good will work out," Greed said from behind him. "I thought the fight between Yusuke and Shino was pretty interesting."

"Heh. That was nothing compared to the things _I've_ seen him do."

"I hope that I am the one to fight next," Rock Lee said from the other end of the balcony. "I would like nothing more than to prove how strong I have become."

"Yeah, Lee, I know," Guy told his pupil. "But you may just have to wait."

"(_Sigh..._) I think I'd rather just go ahead and fight," Shikamaru stated, to everyone's surprise, "just to get it done with and out of the way."

"I wish this stupid round would just end, already," Neji stated impatiently. "None of these guys are even worth my time!"

"I hope I don't have to fight anyone _too_ dangerous," Hinata said timidly. "Kiba looked like he got hurt pretty bad."

"You think?" Shino responded sarcastically.

"Please, let _me_ fight next." Naruto was one of the most enthusiastic of all. However,..

"Come on," Ed said quietly. "I have to talk to him, and find out what he's doing here."

Finally, the screen came to a stop: "Jaganshi Hiei vs. Rock Lee."

"Ya hoo!! It's my turn! Yes!" Rock Lee seemed pleased to be picked.

"Oh, great. Just my luck. I have to go up against that kid?" Hiei said with the look of biting into a sour lemon. "I almost wish I could kill _myself_."

"Hey," Al said to him. "At least you can end it quickly."

"(_Sigh..._) I guess you're right." As Lee jumped straight down from the balcony in excitement, Hiei vanished from the spot where he stood, and reappeared in front of the spot where Lee landed. "So, do you want the first move, or should I just end it quickly?"

"Please, I would like you to go first. I want to show what a splinded ninja I have become."

"If you're both ready," Hayate said between them, "then let the sixth match begin."

"Fine. If that makes you happy." Hiei took the sword strapped over his shoulders on his back, and removed it. "I shouldn't need this," he said as he tossed it back up onto the balcony with his right hand, landing heavily with his teammates. As they cursed him for throwing it so haphazardly, he continued, "I don't need a weapon for any of you." He still had the bandages sealing the dark tattoo on his right arm.

"If that is true," Lee said as he lowered his stance, "then why don't you go ahead and attack?"

"Alright, I _will_!" He ran like lightning towards the bushy-browed boy, readying a punch.

_Wow, he's fast!_ Lee said as he barely managed to jump out of the way of the devistating punch, which left a crater even bigger than Kurama's in the ground. However, the danger wasn't over. Hiei immediately jumped up to meet Lee in mid-air. "What--?" Hiei attacked again with a spin-kick, knocking Lee into the side of the building.

"WHOA!! What the hell was _that_?!" Naruto looked on in utter amazement at the strength of this fighter.

"Well," Kurama stated calmly, "Hiei seems rather aggressive today."

"You call that '_aggressive_?!'" Edward said, dumfounded over the attack. "I need solid boulders to do something like that!"

"Well," Hiei said as he landed effortlessly, "I guess you're pretty quick. Most people don't have the reflexes to dodge my attacks."

After a few seconds, Lee rose up from the small chunks of debris. "Yes, you should not underestimate me." He stood straight up and dusted himself off, as other ninja just stared in disbelief. "However, I now know not to underestimate you, either. I am lucky that I managed to block the impact of your kick." He then looked at Hiei. "Now, it is my turn!" He said as he ran just as quickly towards Hiei, ready to land a hard punch on him. However, Hiei moved to the side at the last moment, catching Lee off guard, making him stumble, and fall on his face.

"(_Sigh_), pitiful," he said as he closed his eyes in disappointment. "You're no better than that fool detective, Yusuke. Huh?" Then, Hiei was caught off guard, and got a powerful kick across his jaw, tossing him into the side of the arena, leaving a mark on the wall only feet from where Lee was kicked.

"Now, do you still think that I am so pitiful?"

Hiei rose up from the rubble, wiping a drop of blood from his cheek. "No, I suppose I should take _you_ more seriously. You're a bit faster that I thought possible for any human."

"Any... human? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it. What's important is that I beat you and get this over with." Hiei raised up his hand, holding it in front of his face. "And since I don't really feel like running around anymore, I'm going to try something different."

Ino looked on, curious about what was happening now. "Hey, anyone else feel that? That guy's gathering chakra in his hand just like Yusuke did earlier." Then, she noticed something else. The bandage around his arm was releasing smoke from the pressure of the technique. "Ahh! His arm is smoking!"

"What is he up to?" Neji asked with his normal sour look.

"I wonder..." Gaara said quietly, catching his siblings' attention. "What might he be planning?"

"Hey," Kankuro said carefully, "you've been quiet lately. I thought you might actually be napping."

"Shut up..."

"Okay."

"No, Hiei, don't you dare," Kurama said alarmingly. "You can't..."

"Hey," Naruto asked immediately. "What are you so worried about? What's he about to do to Bushy-Brow?"

"I can't exactly say."

"Well then why the heck are you so worried?!"

"I can only say what I hope he _isn't_ going to do."

Ed looked at him from the side. "Is that the dark dragon move you told me about?"

"Yes, Edward. It is." Kurama looked at the two blondes. "It's called the 'Dragon of the Darkness Flame,' and it is a dangerous attack, to say the least." He turned his attention back to the arena. "The first time he attempted to summon the dragon, he nearly lost his right arm in the sacrafice."

_"I suggest you not insult the Jagan Eye," Hiei said as he held out his right hand. "You see, it has a mind of its own, and doesn't appreciate being mocked." His arm then began to burn with a black flame. _

_"Is that the..." _

_"That's right... This is what happens when you insult the Jagan Eye." _

_Zeru stepped back, shocked at what his opponent was attempting. "The Dragon of the Darkness Flame, summoned from the farthest depths of Spirit World. It leaves nothing but cinder in it's wake. God, help me..." _

_"You know," Hiei told him, with his right hand submersed in the black fire, "once it's released, I no longer have any control over the dragon!" _

_"Dragon... Of the Darkness Flame!!" _

"That was the first time Hiei ever attempted to harness the dragon, and he nearly lost his entire right arm. However, he is the only one who has ever summoned the dragon, and lived. Suffice to say, it is a game of Russian Roulette, at best; and at worst,the ultimate sacrifice." Then, he saw a light fire coming from Hiei's fist. "(_Sigh_) Thank goodness." He held his hand up to his chest in relief. Edward, Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino, Izumi, Kakashi, Guy, Tenten, and Neji all looked down to see the flame. "This is not the technique I was afraid of. Though it is still dangerous, it shouldn't be fatal."

"I hope you like the heat, kid. Fist of the Mortal Flame!" Hiei punched with a fist full of fire, releasing a massive blaze in Lee's direction.

"Whaa!!" Lee jumped over-head, missing the outside of the flame by inches. He intended to land on the other side of the short demon, unknown to him, while the flame continued on, heading for the wall in Naruto and Edward's direction.

"Whoa!! Everyone, move!!" Izumi said as she, Kurama, and Guy's team jumped to one side, while Kakashi grabbed Naruto and, along with Shikamaru and the rest of his group, jumped in the other direction, toward's Kurenai's group.

Edward, however, simply stood in place, with the flame approaching.

"Edward! Uh, what is he thinking?" Kakashi thought out loud, thinking the kid was simply arragent. Then, he noticed that someone else was missing. "No, Sakura!!" Ed started to move his hands, apparently trying to form a hand sign, when he was inveloped by the fire.

"Do you think he was quick enough?" Izumi asked Kurama, worried that Ed would do something so dangerous. Everyone looked on in anticipation as the flame stopped. What they saw surprised nearly all of them. The flame clearly blasted towards the wall, supposedly leaving a giant scorch mark, and burning all that it hit. However, Edward stood there, hands in front of him, completely unharmed, as was the young pink-haired girl lying behind him. Not a single hair, or stitch of clothing, was singed. The only evidence of the fire that was shot towards them was a large, black ring on the wall, and the edge of the balcony.

"Unbelievable..." For once, Kakashi was in awe of one of the genin. "He doesn't have a single mark on him. How did he do that? Was it some kind of jutsu?"

"It appears he can handle nearly anything," Kurama said with slight surprise.

"Heh, that's our Edward." Izumi said, relieved.

Ed stood in place, lowering his hands back to his sides. _Boy, that was close... If I hadn't seen that flame when I did, we'd be toast right now,_ he thought, looking back to Sakura. Everyone soon returned to the spots where they stood.

Hiei turned around, finding Lee about to launch a full assault on him. However, Hiei managed to dodge each attack with ease. "You know," he said as Lee continued attacking, "if this the best you can do, you should save yourself the pain and embarrassment, and forfeit now."

"No!" Lee said as he launched a hard kick aiming right for Hiei's head. However, this time, Hiei caught Lee's kick, blocking it with one arm, and delivered a hard, damaging punch, landing square on Lee's chest, knocking the breath out of him, and causing him to hit the wall even harder than earlier, leaving large cracks and a small crater. As he got up, more slowly this time, he thought to himself, _How can I beat this guy? He is clearly faster than I am right now. He even caught my kick, and with one hand. It would be impossible for me to win like this. However, I am forbidden from using my secret technique unless the requirements have been met._ Lee then looked up to face his sensei. _So, Guy-Sensei, have I met the requirements?_

"Lee," Guy said out loud, "It's time. Take 'em off."

"You... really mean it?" Lee seemed slightly surprised. "Very well." Lee jumped up, landing on the statue at the head of the arena. "Now, Hiei, you will see what I can really do." With that, Lee pulled up the cloth on his legs, revealing a set of wieghts on his ankles. He then proceeded to remove the weights.

"So," Hiei said, "you think removing a little weight will help you win against me?"

"That kid must be nuts," Greed said as he watched. "No matter how heavy those weights are, he still won't be fast enough to beat Hiei." Then, as Lee held out his arms, weight in hand, he dropped them to the ground, creating a loud crash and two puffs of smoke. Greed looked on with a bewildered face. "Okay... Maybe I was wrong..."

"Alright, so you use _heavy_ weights. You still can't beat me." Hiei seemed unimpressed.

Suddenly, Lee disappeared, reappearing behind Hiei. "Now, try and dodge _this_!" Lee then proceeded to launch another barrage of punches and kickes, which gave Hiei more trouble than earlier. However, he still evaded the hits. _I do not believe it,_ Lee thought._ He is still able to dodge my every move. How can this be possible?_ Suddenly, Lee stopped, getting Hiei's attention. "Very well. I still cannot beat you like this." Lee proceeded to remove the bandages around his hands. "I suppose I will simply have to use my special technique."

"Special Technique? What the heck is he talking about?" Naruto asked, confused. "And why doesn't he start using some genjutsu or something?"

"Well, Naruto," Guy said before Kakashi got a chance to answer, "Lee isn't able to use his chakra like you or me. He can't perform genjutsu or ninjutsu. He never could. He can only use taijutsu." He looked back at the fight. "So, he and I decided to sharpen his taijutsu techniques, making him a great physical fighter. Lee has become a taijutsu master." _I just hope he has what it takes to win without going too far..._

"Now, Hiei," Lee said as he brought his hands back down to his sides. "Get ready for my best attack." He then started to run circles around Hiei, who stood poised, waiting for a change in movement. "Even _you_ cannot guard yourself from this attack," Lee said from all directions, as he continued runing. "It is beyond human capability to do so." Then, Lee seemlessly ran straight for Hiei.

_Wha--_ Hiei didn't even have time to formulate a thought as the young menace ran towards him. He barely had time to raise his arms in front of him to absorb most of the impact of the kick, which sent him up into the air. _I don't believe this... Yusuke is the only human who's ever matched my speed._ Lee delivered a second kick, tossing Hiei to the cieling. _How can this little punk be _this_ fast?!_

"Now," Lee threw his arms around Hiei, spinning his bandages around his body. "Witness the power of my Primary Lotus!" The two bodies started spinning in mid-air, and the speed grew exponentially as they headed for the ground, quickly creating a loud crash, and a small explosion.

"Do you think Hiei is alright after that kind of attack?" Al asked with almost no concern for his teammate.

"If not, then he's obviously no good to us," was the simple, heartless answer that Greed gave him.

"Ow... That's gotta hurt," Edward said with a slight laugh.

"Yeah, Lee! You did it!!" Tenten yelled with joy at seeing her teammate use such an attack.

Everyone in the building waited with anticipation as the smoke cleared from the explosion...

"Oh, man... I wouldn't want to be the one wrapped up in that move," Shikamaru said with a bit of concern.

"Did Lee win, Kurenai-Sensei?" Hinata asked timidly.

"I can't tell from here, Hinata."

"Wow... That was amazing," Naruto understated. "I don't think he would be up for at least a week after that." He thought for another moment. "_Hey_!! Wait a minute! I knew that move looked familiar!" Naruto turned and pointed to Kurama. "You used the same kind of move on Sakura as Bushy-Brow did just now."

"Yes, it seems we both appreciate the strength of a high-impact attack."

As the smoke slowly cleared, everyone finally got a chance to see the results of the attack. Lee was on one knee and one hand, breathing heavily, watching as Hiei seemed to be out.

"I did it, Guy-Sensei," Lee said breathlessly. "I won."

* * *

Did you really think the fight would end that quickly? Continue reading. I have ideas that could make this story run like a series, so don't be surprised if it runs to many, many chapters. If I can get more readers. Please, review this story already. I know you're reading this, I see the numbers.

Hey, tell your friends about this story, too.


	8. The Demon and The Gates

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's note: I said there would be differences from the _Naruto_ anime, but there will also be parallel similarities. Such as in this chapter.

XXXXX

Ch. 8 "The Demon and The Gates"

"I did it, Guy-Sensei," Lee said, trying to catch his breath. "I won."

"That-a-boy, Lee!" Guy praised his prized pupil. "That's how it's done!"

"No," Kurama protested quietly, catching Guy's attention. "I don't believe Hiei will be beaten that easily. It takes much more than _that_ to keep him down."

"Huh? Are you serious?"

Hayate stepped in, "I guess I should start counting (_cough_). One... Two... Huh?"

As predicted, the small demon started picking himself up, surprising nearly everyone in the building. "Heh, that was pretty good, kid," he said as he got back to his feet, and started stretching out his arms.

"Huh?" Lee watched, stunned, as he got back up so quickly.

"I didn't think anyone else here could give me this kind of exercise." Then, Hiei popped his neck. "I gotta hand it to you, Lee. You're really something else."

"I don't believe it," Guy said, stunned that the Primary Lotus actually failed. "How can that kid still be up after that?"

"Believe me," Kurama answered ominously. "Hiei is no child. He is much older than he looks. In fact, he is even older than the Hokage."

"WHAT?!" Everyone around him questioned in disbelief. Kakashi asked, "How the hell is that possible?"

"Do you believe there are creatures other than humans roaming the earth?" Kurama asked cautiously.

"What, you mean demons? You mean that's what he is?"

"Yes. Hiei is a demon, and has lived for over a century. And the only human who has ever defeated him in battle is Yusuke."

"Wait," Izumi demanded, trying to wrap her mind around all this. "You mean you kids actually know all three ninja in that group?"

"Yeah," Edward spoke up, shifting the attention in his direction. "They know Hiei, and the other two are my problem." He turned and faced the two on the opposite balcony. "One of them is my younger brother."

"Your brother?.." Kakashi turned to examine the other team. "Yeah... I can see the resemblence. It's the kid in the red coat, right?"

"That's right. But I don't understand why he's here. I thougth _I_ was the only one who went through the Gate..."

"Gate?" Guy questioned. "What the heck are you talkin' about, Ed?"

Meanwhile, down on the arena floor, Hayate allowed the match to resume.

"So, kid," Hiei asked with a little excitement in his voice, "have you got anything else for me? You see, this is the first time I've been able to enjoy a good fight in several months. It would be a shame to end it so soon."

"But," Lee started to get his breathing under control, "how did you withstand the power of my Lotus? You would have to be inhuman to be up and about after that."

"Why don't you ask my red-headed friend about that when you get the chance to talk? You'll find there's more to me than meets the eye."

"Very well, then," Lee said after a little rest. "I suppose I have no choice but to unleash my ultimate technique." He then crossed his arms in front of him. "Forgive me, Guy-Sensei. But I must do this." Here, Lee's chakra started to rise at an alarming speed.

"What the--? His chakra... Guy, you didn't...?" Kakashi turned to face him with concern on his face. "Guy, what did you do?"

"Kakashi, you know good and well what this is."

Izumi interjected, "You mean..."

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "Guy, you taught Lee to open the Eight Inner Gates."

"Eight Gates..?" Edward and Naruto asked, completely clueless.

"It is a forbidden jutsu," Kakashi explained to the students. "There is a network of chakra points in the body that coincides with the bloodstream. But there are also eight points of regulation that keep the amount of chakra someone can use in check, called Gates. They are located throughout the central nervous system, and the heart. In order, they are the Gates of Opening, of Rest, of Life, of Pain, of Closing, of Joy, of Shock, and finally, Death." This word caught Ed's attention, making him wince. "The Primary Lotus can only be performed when the Gate of Opening is released. I'm not so surprised that Lee was taught to open that one. With each gate that the user opens, they gain an incredible amount of strength and chakra, but in exchange, the technique puts an equally incredible strain on their life force." He then faced Guy again. "Guy, I can't believe you would be willing to teach such a technique to one of your own students."

"Don't give me that, Kakashi. I only taught Lee this technique as a last resort. It means he has no alternative left."

Back in the fight, the air flow around Lee became visibly distorted. "The second gate, Gate of Rest... Open!" Just then, a burst of air blew in all direction from him.

"I see," Hiei said, interested in seeing what he was dealing with. "You still haven't reached your limit."

"Guy," Kakashi said with concern, "how many Gates _did_ you teach him to unlock?"

"He can only reach the fifth gate. He can't go any farther than that."

"The third gate, Gate of Life... Open!!" Now, Lee's skin started to change color, becoming red. The air flow started to dramatically change around his body.

"Amazing... To learn how to open the Eight Inner Gates," Kakashi said, confounded at Lee's power, "it takes more than strength and will alone. This kid must truely be a genius."

"_The fourth gate... Gate of Pain... Open!!_" Now, Lee's voice showed evidence of the strain on his body. The amount of chakra he was releasing actually started breaking the ground of the arena, and changing the color of the air nearby.

"Yes!" Hiei said with excitement. "This is what I'd hoped to see! Now this fight is actually worth my time!" He held out his right hand, and started to let his energy flow through it. "Now, let me show you what _I'm_ capable of!" The energy he was releasing awakened his Jagan Eye, and his tattoo, unraveling the wrapping, and revealing a black, glowing dragon spiraling his entire arm, as well as opening the third eye on his forehead.

"Is that a... third eye?" Kakashi asked, perplexed.

"No, Hiei! Don't!" Kurama yelled out. "The dragon will destroy everyone in the building!"

"What?! Are you serious?!" Kakashi asked, shocked. "How can he have that kind of power?"

"_The fifth gate... Gate of Closing... OPEN!!_" As Lee opened this gate, he stood back up straight, pulling his hands back to his sides, and released a massive amount of chakra, followed by a storm-like blast of wind.

Ignoring the pleas coming from the balcony, Hiei held his hand up, the aura of the dragon getting bigger. "I see the power you have! However," as he started to release it, "even as strong as you are, there's no need for me to call the dragon. At least, not all of him." He opened his palm, releasing a dark flame of energy, which fed the tattoo running up his arm, enveloping it in the same energy. From the top of his arm, the chakra trailed across his back, coming up, off of his left shoulder, shaped like a tail. "You see, no mortal, especially some fifteen-year-old punk, is worth the dragon's time, but he _is_ willing to lend me some of his strength."

"What? Your chakra..." Lee said surprised, as everyone else watched in awe of the specticle.

"I... I don't believe it," Naruto said, actually frightened. "This chakra... It's massive... And, it's scary. You said that Hiei guy is a demon?"

"Yes," Kurama replied, as he started to sweat with fear. "And believe it or not, as much energy as he is exuding now, he can still call much more of it." Everyone around him yelled a jaw-dropping "_What?!_" He continued, "This is roughly a quarter of the dragon's full potential, equivelent to its tail."

"But," Guy asked, paniked, "if he has _that_ kind of power, then how can Lee possibly win?"

"I believe winning is no longer an option. I'm simply worried about his survival," Kurama stated, shocking Guy. "That is, unless Hiei decides to show mercy."

"Unbelieveable," a deep, raspy voice whispered from the other balcony.

"I hear ya, Gaara," Kankuro answered from his side. "I thought _you_ were the only one with that kind of chakra."

"You idiot," Gaara snapped back at him. "You didn't even hear it. This is not the limit of his power."

"Huh? Which one, the green kid, or the one with the weird arm?"

"The latter, Hiei. That dragon of his... It can still reach even greater limits." Gaara started twitching. "I can't believe it..."

"Uh-oh..." Kankuro and Temari stepped back, aware of what was happening to their little brother. Temari calmly pleaded, "Gaara, please, just wait..."

"Shut up, Temari... I'm fine."

Back in the arena, Hiei held out his hand for an attack. "Now, see if you can match my strength!"

"My pleasure!" Lee knelt down, getting ready to unleash a devestating attack. _This chakra... I only hope I can beat him._ With that, Lee jumped forward, moving faster than the human eye could keep up. He kept one hand down, dragging it along the ground for physical stimulation. "Dodge _this!_" He raised his hand up at the last moment, aiming for Hiei's chin.

"So, you really _are_ faster!" Hiei said, pleased, as he moved his head only enough to avoid a direct hit. However, he didn't think of the aftershock of the rapid air movement. This mistake sent him flying several feet, barely stopping himself before he hit the wall. Before he could return the the center of the floor, however, Lee had already moved behind him, ready to make another attack. This time, instead of dodging, Hiei turned and countered, blocking the attack, and throwing a punch, which Lee pulled away from.

This combat went on for several minutes, moving all across the ground, with only a select few able to watch the action. "It's amazing," Naruto said. "I can feel the energy they're using, but I can't even see them. What the heck's happening?"

"This isn't good," Guy answered. "Lee is at his limit. He shouldn't even be able to last this long."

"Wha--? But, who's winning?"

"Hiei," Kakashi answered. "It's hard to believe, but opening the gates has actually made this fight _worse_ for Lee. Now, not only is he outmatched, but the additional energy he's generating is damaging his body, causing severe fatigue."

Kurama pitched in, "It's only a matter of time, now. Hiei doesn't even need to attack. He can simply wait for Rock Lee to tire and pass out."

"Hey! Don't say that!" Guy snapped at him. He turned back to face the arena. "Lee is strong... Even if he does get tired, he will continue to fight."

"Guy," Kakashi warned, "your overconfidence in your student will cause him trouble if you aren't careful."

However, Guy just continued to watch the fight. _Please, Lee... Just stop. Don't push it any more! If you do..._

"Damn you, Hiei!" Lee said as he continued trying to attack him. "Why can't I hit you?!"

"Just give it up, child! You're too slow for me! Huh?"

Then, Lee got one lucky hit, landing a hard punch in Hiei's face. "Now," he said, pulling back his hand, the loose cloth around his hand wrapped around Hiei, "you're _mine!!_" As he jumped into the air, pulling Hiei up with him, he landed another normally bone-shattering punch to Hiei's chest, knocking the breath out of him. Then, he gave him an even stronger kick to his left set of ribs, almost knocking him out of the bandage. "Oh, no you don't!" Lee pulled Hiei back to him, spinning him at break-neck speed. "Now, handle _this_, why don't you?!" He stopped Hiei, grabbing him from behind. He kicked his left leg forward, catching Hiei's, pulling them both up to their heads, while gripping both of his arms at the wrists, and swinging them both forward, crossing over Hiei's leg, pulling it tight to his chest. The speed of their arms sent the bandages from Lee's hands wrapping around Hiei, catching him in this awkward position.

"What are you doing to me?!" He said, surprised at the sudden strength and skill of this 'punk.'

"You want power, Hiei?! Then witness the power of the Extreme Lotus!!" He then started spinning Hiei around even faster than the first time. However, this time, instead of only spinning around, he started spinning in an unpredictible manner, rotating in all sphirical directions. (Sorry, I couldn't think of a better way way to say it.)

"Damnit! I can't get loose!" Hiei struggled to get free as they continued towards the ground, in vain. Within less than a few seconds, Lee had tossed Hiei into the air, wrapped him up, and spun him into the ground. The strength of the impact practically shattered the ground, leaving a crater over three meters across, causing another explosion with a large puff of smoke, and leaving everyone to, once again, watch with anticipation as the smoke cleared.

"What?.. What just happened?" Naruto asked, clueless.

"I can't believe it," Kurama said with genuine shock. "Hiei actually..."

"He what?!"

"Kurama?" Edward asked from the side. "Am I feeling this right?"

"Yes, Edward. It seems I might have been wrong."

"What are you two talking about?!" Naruto yelled at them, annoyed.

Ed decided to answer. "What we're talking about, is that Lee might have actually beaten Hiei."

"Huh?" Naruto stared in disbelief. "You... mean Bushy-Brow won?" He turned back to face the arena, where they had landed.

"Damn, that _really_ had to hurt." Shikamaru understated.

"You got that right," Ino replied.

"Oh no," Hinata gasped lightly, "Lee..."

"Even _Hiei_ had to feel that," Al stated from the other balcony, almost concerned. "It doesn't matter if he _is_ a demon."

"Yeah," Greed told him. "But there's no chance he actually _lost_. If he did, then he's really losing his touch."

"I didn't think that kind of power was even possible," Dosu said from the side. "It's amazing..."

Meanwhile, everyone else in the building just stood silently, waiting to see what lie inside the puff of smoke. Slowly, the dust and debris cleared, leaving a shocking, and kind of confusing, sight. Both fighters were lying face-down on the ground, head to head, motionless. The bandages from Lee's attack lie sprawled out, winding around both of them, ending in piles of the cloth.

"Lee!" Guy yelled worriedly from the balcony.

"Well, this is a new one," Hayate said from the floor. "Hokage-sama, how should I call this fight?"

"Proceed with the count, Hayate. If neither of them gets up in time, then both are disqualified."

"Very, well, Hokage-sama." Hayate stepped out to the center of the floor, and started counting. "One... Two... Three..."

"Come on, Bushy-Brow. Get up." Naruto silently rooted for the leaf ninja.

"Please, Lee," Tenten said, full of worry.

"Four... Five..."

"I don't believe it," Greed said. "Did he actually lose?"

"Six... Seven... Huh?" Hayate stopped short, watching something move.

"Ow..." One of the ninja said as he raised his arm. "Okay, that hurt." He pushed himself up, rubbing his head with the other hand.

"Heh... I should have known," Kurama said with a slight amusement.

"No," Guy said with shock. "It can't be..."

"What did I tell you?" Greed said confidently.

It was Hiei, of course. After this attack, his Jagan Eye had closed, once again limiting his strength. As he continued complaining about his aches, Hayate continued counting. "Eight... Nine... What?" Now, something else surprising was happening. Lee started moving.

"Lee!" Guy yelled for his student. "I don't believe it..."

"What? You're still moving?" Hiei asked, annoyed, while Lee slowly got back to his feet. "You really are a persistant one, aren't you?"

"Well," Lee barely managed to speak, breathing shallowly, "I want... to prove... that I am... a strong... ninja."

Hiei showed signs of fatigue as well. He was having trouble keeping his eyes opened, and had to work to keep up his 'tough' apperance. "Well, then, I think it's time to end this fight, _now!!_" Once again, Hiei took the initiative, and sped towards Lee, set on attacking. "_This ends here!_" He started to draw out power from the dragon tattoo again, only to find he didn't have enough stamina to pull out even another quarter of it's power. He only managed enough to augment his own strength. He had not trouble using this extra energy, though.

"_AAHHH!!_" Lee yelled in intense pain as Hiei landed a bone-breaking attack on his arm, with the pain amplified by the strain of fighting with the inner gates opened for an extended period of time.

"NO!! _LEE!!_" Guy couldn't bare to watch as his student continued in this torture.

"And now," Hiei said as he spun around, "for the _leg!!_" He swung his arm, aiming for Lee's leg, while swinging a kick to it from the other direction, ensuring devestating results.

"_AAAHHHHH!!_..." Lee screamed in immeasurable agony, as he buckled under the attack, falling as soon as Hiei let up, off of his leg.

The specticle was almost too much to bare for several of the (leaf) ninja, not only Guy. Many couldn't handle being forced to watch the agony of the determined child. Hinata had to close her eyes and cover her ears. Ino tensed her grip on the rail, tears forming on her lashes. Tenten yelled for it to stop, openly crying for her teammate. Sakura was lucky to still be unconscious, though she was close to waking up. It looked almost like she was crying, too, hearing the cries around her. While the girls were in such emotional pain, a few of the boys silently cursed Hiei for his brutality.

"Hey! Lay off him, you bastard!!" Naruto was not one of these boys.

"There, that should keep you down," Hiei said heartlessly, breathing hard. He then turned and started to walk away, with his left hand over his right arm, while Hayate started counting again.

"One... Two..."

"The fool didn't know when to give up," Neji said, coldly.

"Don't say that!!" Tenten snapped at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"Three... Four... (_cough_)"

"Even if he _did_ go too far, don't you _ever_ talk badly about Lee!"

"Bushy-Brow..."

"Five..."

"Lee..." Naruto and the others could hear a quiet voice behind them. They all turned, finding Sakura, still sleeping, but with a look of worry on her face, like she could hear what was happening.

"Six..."

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto said, silently. He started to reach out to wake her, when Kakashi gently grabbed his wrist.

"No, Naruto. There's no need for her to see this kind of brutality." Naruto paused, and decided Kakashi-Sensei was right.

"Seven..."

"Remarkable," Dosu said. "I could barely even keep up with them."

"I can't believe it," Kankuro said, shocked. "They were so fast..."

"Eight..."

"Well, well," Greed said, pleased. "It looks like our teammate's still got it."

"That's good," Al answered back.

Hiei continued walking away, slowly, stopping as Hayate counted 'nine' and paused, yet again. "No... You've _got_ to be kidding me..." He turned his head, finding Lee rising to his feet, visibly struggling. "Why won't you stay down?.." Hiei was barely able to walk and speek, now. Lee didn't answer. He just continued struggling to get upright, getting back into his attack stance, his head down. Hiei turned back around, getting angry. "I'm really getting tired of you, kid!" Hiei started releasing energy from his arm again, much lower than before, but enough to finish the job, and started running towards Lee. "Now, you _lose!_" He jabbed his hand towards Lee, ready for a final attack. "Huh?" However, his attack was stopped short by his wrist being swiped away. "Get out of the way."

"Sorry," Guy told him, "but I can't do that. I can't let Lee die just to protect his pride."

"Why?.. Why are you protecting him?"

"Because... I care about him."

"What?..." A raspy voice said from above. Gaara watched with intense attention. "He cares... for that guy..."

"I see..." Hiei pulled back. "Well, I guess there's nothing more I can do now. Your interfering has made any further fighting pointless. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He turned back around again, ready to leave.

Guy turned to face his pupil, who had just lost the fight. "Lee, are you alri--" He was stopped short, shocked at the sight in front of him. Lee was unconscious, his eyes half-opened, and glazed. "Oh, Lee... What have I done?.." Tears formed under Guy's eyes, as he reached around him. "I'm sorry, Lee. I should never have allowed you to learn that technique." He hugged him tighter, as Lee slowly relaxed his body against his teacher. "Please, Lee, forgive me..."

"Touching..." Hiei said, aloofly, turning to continue walking back to his team, as Hayate declared him the winner. The medical team immediately came to retrieve Lee, as Guy released his grip on him.

"I almost thougth Hiei would lose," Kurama admited, "but I suppose I was wrong."

"I can't believe you guys were _allies_," Edward said with slight aggitation. "He's a monster."

"What's wrong?" A soft voice caught everyone's attention, yet again. They all turned to find Sakura standing at the rail, with tears staining her eyes. "Lee! What happened to him?!"

"He lost to Hiei," Kakashi answered her calmly.

"Are... you serious, sensei?" Her eyes widened.

"No..." Their attention was pulled back to Guy and Lee. "You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry, sir, but his injuries are just too severe. I'm afraid he can never fight again."

"I can't believe it." He turned to Lee, who was being carefully carried away by stretcher. "This is all my fault."

"Is... he for real? Bushy-Brow can never fight again?" Sakura and Tenten gasped at Naruto's question.

"I'm afraid so, Naruto." Kakashi answered.

"But why? Why, Damnit?! All he wanted was to prove that he was a good ninja!! He was willing to risk his _life_ for that goal!"

"Well, Naruto, things aren't always as simple as we would like them to be. It's _because_ Lee was willing to go so far that he's in such bad shape now."

"That bastard..."

"Watch you language, Naruto. You're still only a kid."

"Hey," Greed asked Hiei slily as he got back up to the balcony, "what happened to you? You almost look like you lost."

"I didn't think that kid could possibly last so long. (_Whaa..._) If I knew how strong he was, I would have called more of the dragon's strength." Hiei's eyes were extremely heavy now. "I'm counting on you guys to fill me in on the rest of the fights." He walked back to the wall, and sat against it. "Wake me when something important happens."

"Sleep well, Small Fry," Al told him, playing for a rise out of him, and getting none. Hiei was quickly asleep. "I guess that dragon really takes a lot out of him."

Guy soon rejoined everyone else back on the other balcony, after Lee was taken away. "Guy," Kakashi called, trying to comfort his friend, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I had no right to take such a self-rightious attitude."

"No, Kakashi, it was my fault from the very beginning. I was wrong to allow him to learn how to open the gates. I was such a fool."

"Now," Hayate broke up the uncomfortable air. "For the drawing of the next match. Please watch the screen." Everyone watched nervously, and many of them were more scared now, after watching the brutality of the last match. Eventually, the screen stopped: 'Shikamaru Naara vs. Kin Tsuchi.' "Shikamaru vs. Kin. Will these two fighters please come down for the next fight?"

"Well," Shikamaru answered, "at least my wait is over." He started walking down to the arena.

"I hope this guy doesn't have anything like that up his sleeve," Kin said wearily to Dosu before she started walking to the arena.

"I doubt it." He answered her. A minute later, she and Shikamaru were face to face.

"If you're ready, then fight!" Hayate signaled the match.

XXXXX

Please review me.


	9. The Sound of Stone

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Sorry for not updating in so long, guys. I had to go to my grandma's recently. So I wasn't really motivated to do anything for a while. After that, I had a few things to do, as well as suffering from writer's block.

But I think I'm over that now, so tell me what you think.

XXXXX

Ch. 9 "Lethal Vibrations: The Sound of Stone"

"And the winner of the seventh match is Shikamaru Nara (_cough_)."

"That'll teach her," Shikamaru said out loud. "She was so busy with me, she had no idea how close she was to the wall." He then rejoined his team back up on the balcony, meeting a complimenting Naruto, Edward, Sakura, and Ino, as well as the jonin.

"Now, for the eigth match," Hayate reminded everyone. "Please, watch the screen." Everyone watched as the next participants were selected: 'Naruto Uzumaki vs. Ino Yamanaka.' "Now, please enter the arena for the next match."

"Yay! It's finally my turn!" Naruto yelled gleefully, as he jumped straight to the floor in excitement. (_Crack..._) He paused for a moment, feeling a pain in his ankle. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, _ow!_" He then started jumping around on his left foot, grabbing onto his right ankle.

"(_Sigh..._) Naruto..." Sakura and Kakashi both sighed in a kind of disappointment.

"HAHAHA...! That kid's supposed to be a ninja?! Please! What a joke!" Greed could be heard gaffawing all the way from the other side of the building. "He's so clumsy, he can't keep from hurting himself when he jumps!"

"Hey!" Naruto yelled back at him. "You wanna come down _here_ and say that?!"

After a moment, Greed finally supressed his laughter. "Ya know, I would, kid, but I'm not the one you're fighting!" He pointed to the girl standing next to him. "She is."

"Are you done yet, Naruto?" Ino asked with her arms crossed.

"Ahh! Ino! You're already here?"

"Just pay attention!" She punched him in the head, knocking him to the ground. "I can't believe you're even _allowed_ to be on the same team as Sasuke." She walked on to the center of the stage and waited for him to join her.

Once Naruto finally wobbled his way to the center and stood in front of her, Hayate called out, "Now, let the eighth match begin!"

"Here I come, Naruto!" Ino immediately started running towards him with a kunai in-hand.

"Ah!! Wa-wa-wa-wait, Ino!" Naruto barely avoided being cut by her kunai, as he bent back as if playing a game of limbo.

The fight went on for several minutes with Naruto continuously dodging kunai and shuriken, and eventually overpowering Ino's mind-control jutsu, and using his new, and not-so-patented, 'Uzumaki Barrage,' naming him the winner of the match.

"The winner of the eighth match, Naruto Uzumaki."

"(_Huff... Huff..._) That'll... Teach ya... To play mind games... With me." Naruto had his hands on his knees, breathless. Ino was lying on the ground, barely able to move. "I'll never give up on my dream to become Hokage, no matter what."

After the medics came to retrieve the temporarily paralized Ino, Naruto regained his breath and rejoined everyone else back on the balcony, being especially congratulated by Sakura. "Alright, Naruto! You did it!"

"That was quite impressive," Kurama praised him. "Most people cannot resist the suggestions of subliminal manipulation." The two blondes just stared at him, confused. "Mou... Never mind..." Kurama lowered his head in defeat, with a small sweatdrop of disappointment.

"You're definately no ordinary kid. I'll give ya that," Ed told him, with a grin.

"Uh, congratulations, Naruto." Everyone turned their heads at this new voice. Kurenai's group had moved closer to the other squads (because Kurenai reacted to Hinata's nervous glances), and Hinata had managed to work up the nerve talk to him. "I, uh... I... wanted to... give you this." She hesitantly held out her hands, holding a bag of medicine for her crush.

"Oh, wow. Thanks, Hinata. But, what is it?" Naruto just stared at her, clueless, while she was forced to bare the prolonged discomfort of everyone's attention. She was sweating heavily, and getting red in the face from embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, it's, medicine."

"Go on, Naruto, take it. It's a gift." Kakashi urged him from the side.

"Gee, thanks." Naruto finally accepted the gift, much to the relief of the shy kunoichi.

Meanwhile, on the other balcony, Greed looked on with disbelief. "I don't believe that clumsy little kid actually won."

"Well," Alphonse replied, "maybe he really _is_ that good."

"Now," Hayate said to everyone from the ground, "please watch the screen for the ninth match." Everyone watched anxiously as the screen flashed between the remaining eight contestants: Tenten, Hinata and Neji Hyuga, Edward Elric, Dosu Kinuta, Gaara, Alphonse Elric, and Greed. Eventually, the screen stopped on two fighters: 'Dosu Kinuta vs. Greed.' "The next match is between Dosu Kinuta and Greed. Will these two fighters please enter the arena?"

"It's finally my turn, huh? Good, I'm tired of waiting."

"Oh, Dosu," a voice came from behind him. He turned, finding his "sensei" glaring at him with deadly intentions. "Remimber, you are the last hope for the Sound Village. It wouldn't look very good if _all_ of our best ninja were eliminated before even reaching the final exam, now would it?.."

"No, 'Sensei.' I promise, I will not fail you." Dosu then started walking to the stairs towards the arena.

"So, that kid is the one I'm fighting?" Greed watched through his shades as Dosu got to the floor and continued walking to the center. (He had decided to put them on earlier while he waited for his turn.) "Hmm..." He started grinning, raising his eyebrows. "Maybe I'll get to have a little fun with him." He then jumped right over the rail, landing loudly on the ground, catching the attention of everyone in the building. He stood straight up and walked to the center of the arena with his hands on his sides, to face his younger opponent. "So, kid, think you can impress me?" He asked as he removed his glasses and stuck them in his pocket. "I'm kind of a tough audience, ya know."

"Don't underestimate me. There's more to me than meets the eye."

"Well," Hayate interrupted their conversation, "if the two of you are ready (_cough_), then let the ninth match commence!" He then stepped back onto the platform with the other officials.

"I'm curious," Dosu started, "why are you called 'Greed?' That's one of the Seven Cardinal Sins, if I'm not mistaken."

"Well, it's a very long and complicated story, and I'm sure no one here is really interested in listening to an old man make speeches. Tell ya what... If you can beat me... I'll tell you anything you want to know. How's'at?"

"Fine, I'll end this in under a minute." He raised his steel-covered arm in front of him. "But I probably won't get anything out of you, because you'll be unconscious."

Greed smiled as he heard this. "Is that so? Well, since you seem so confident, I'll make you an offer. You get one free shot. Anywhere you want." He widened his stance, placing his feet further apart and holding out his hands. "I won't even bother to dodge. How's that sound?"

"Arrogent bastard, aren't you? Alright, since you're being so generous," Dosu held out his arm, pouring his chakra into the device, "how can I _refuse?!_" He ran at great speed towards the man, about to hit him with a big surprise. "Try _this!_" He slammed his hand into the left side of Greed's stomach, releasing a high pitch and decibal, supposedly damaging his internal organs. The sheer force of the attack sent Greed flying several feet, landing on his back, sliding and rolling to a stop.

"Whoa! What the heck did he just do?" Naruto asked, leaning on the rail. "A simple punch couldn't just send someone flying like that!"

"He released a mass of his chakra through that device on his arm as he hit Greed," Izumi told him. "He seems like a very dangerous genin. I'd be worried if one of you kids had to fight him." This comment was more directed towards her own students.

"It feels like he's somehow controling the vibrations of the air particles around him," Kurama said, catching everyone's attention.

"Yeah, that's right," Sakura answered. "That's how he was able to hurt Lee in the forest."

"Yeah, well, for normal people like us, that would be a real problem," Ed said as he watched the ground, the tip of his right thumb between his teeth again. "But since he's fighting Greed, _he's_ the one in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"Heh-he, silly Greed. He loves being melodramatic," Al said from the balcony. "Hey! Stop messing around!"

"Sorry," Dosu said unsympatheticly as Greed started to move. "You might feel a little pain. What?.." He was surprised to see Greed get back up on his feet, barely phased, and dust himself off. "How can you be on your feet so quickly?"

"I told you, kid," he answered as he finished dusting himself off, "I'm not easy to beat. It'll take more than sheer force to keep _me_ down." He then put his hands together, changing one to a stone-gray color, like his chest. "Now, it's my turn." He quickly ran towards Dosu, who managed to evade a right hook.

_Incredible,_ Dosu thought to himself, still in the air. _No one's ever even gotten up from that attack, let alone continued fighting._ As he landed, he prepared to attack again. "Now, here I-- huh?" Before he realised it, Greed had already made his way up to him, and threw another punch, which Dosu avoided by less than an inch. This time, he had punched down at Dosu, and wound up hitting the floor, leaving even more damage to the tiling. Dosu jumped back, pausing his attack. "Amazing... You're the first person to ever get up after that attack." He chuckled as he changed his stance slightly. "And you're still so strong... I'm going to enjoy this match."

"My god," Naruto, exclaimed quietly, "how can he move like that? And his attack is unreal?.."

"This guy could be even more dangerous than that Hiei person," Shikamaru said from beside Naruto. "Just look at his hand, and that punch..."

"Kurenai-Sensei, how did he do that?" Hinata asked with a little fear in her voice.

"I don't know, Hinata. But I know it isn't any jutsu I've ever seen."

Greed had punched into the ground. However, unlike Hiei, he hadn't left a wide crator. Instead, because of the density of his fist and the force of his attack, he had crashed into the floor, digging his hand a full foot into the ground. He pulled his hand back up, with a fist full of dirt, standing upright again. "Well, well, you're a quick little squirt, aren't ya? Now, what was that you said about a minute?" He asked as he opened his hand, releasing the dirt to the ground.

"Alright, maybe you're not as easy as I thought, but I'm still going to win this fight." He shot out his arm, and placed his other hand on the steel plate, forming a hand sign over it. "Sound Style: Sonic Degeneration-no Jutsu." The air around his arm started vibrating, thrashing around the device. "I must warn you, I don't know exactly what this attack will do to your body. I've never had need to use it on a living target before. I imagine it will be quite messy, though."

"Why don't we find out for ourselves? But my offer has expired. No more freebies, and I'm hitting back." He arched forward slightly, crouching down and lowering his clawed hand, flexing it into a fist.

"Now," Dosu sped towards his opponent even more quickly than before, making it difficult for most of the ninja to keep up, "Get ready to _die!!_" He slashed his arm at Greed's head.

"Too slow!" Greed said as he pulled to the side, narrowly avoiding a damaging blow. "My turn!" He then quickly rammed his fist into Dosu's side, knocking him all the way to the wall, and creating yet another crater in it. "That was too easy. Huh?" As Dosu hit the wall, he suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Hnn... Where did he go?"

"Right here!" Dosu reappeared, coming up at an angle behind him. "Now, try dodging _this!!_" He attacked again, this time aiming for the chest.

Dosu and Greed seemed evenly matched in speed. Dosu had the advantage of being behind his opponent, but Greed was just quick enough to avoid a critical blow to his chest. Instead, he blocked it with his right arm, which he thought could handle the attack. "Damn... kid!" After only a second, the force of the impact caused an explosion and sent both fighters flying in opposite directions.

"Whoa!! What the hell was that?!" Naruto was nothing short of awe-stricken at the skills he was watching.

"You know, Edward," Kurama said to the side, "you seem quite calm about this match, considering the competators' abilities."

"I'm not concerned because I already know what's going to happen."

"What? You know what'll happen?" Sakura asked after eavesdroping. "You mean you know who will win?"

"Greed, hands down," Ed said without missing a beat. "He maybe able to weaken him momentarily, but there's only one way anyone can ever beat someone like Greed, and this kid isn't even close."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'someone?' What kind of person is he?"

Edward didn't respond, but continued watching the fight, the tip of his right glove thumb between his teeth.

"Unhh... Persistant bastard, aren't you?" Dosu asked as he slowly got back up to his feet. He had rolled to a stop, causing slight scratches around his visible eye, and tearing some of the cloth around his head, as well as his sleeves. "In case you're curious about what just happened, I created this attack to weaken molecular bonds. So, any body part that's attacked is broken down instantly, and permanently useless."

"Guhh," Greed grunted as he got back up, his left hand covering the spot on his right arm where Dosu had hit him. "Ow. Well, I'm no scientist, so I don't know what you did, you little brat, but you're one of the few humans who've ever actually hurt me like that."

"Humans?.. What do you mean by that?"

"Heh, you really wanna see?" Greed grinned evilly as he removed his hand, revealing a bloody gap of white skin and blood, shocking many of the genin in the room. "Then pay attention. You're going to enjoy this." A second later, a flash of light quickly rolled down each of his arms, from his shoulders to his hands. In their wake, his previously white skin was now completely grey. And even more surprisingly, there was absolutely no evidence that any of his skin had been damaged.

"What the hell?!" Dosu's eyes widened, shocked at what his opponent had just done. "How are you healed? How did you do that without making a handsign? Is that some new kind of jutsu?"

"Well, I guess you could say that," Greed said as he walked towards Dosu at a medium pace. "It's really more like a special ability that's unique only to me. It doesn't require any kind of handsigns, because it happens on my will." Dosu interrupted him by quickly running towards him, ready to attack him with his Sonic Degeneration again. However, this time, Greed blocked the attack, getting a solid hold of the steel device creating the attack, to everyone's surprise. Most of all, Dosu's.

"Whoa! What the...Ahh-ah-ah! How the hell did he just do that?!" Naruto nearly flipped as he tossed himself against the handrail.

"What?! But how can you hold this attack now, with your bare hands, after what it already did to you?!"

"This is why no person has ever beaten me, except for one," Greed told him with an evil grin across his face. And with one flex of his wrist, his heavy hand crushed the device in on itself.

Dosu's eyes widened to their limit, watching as his attack was instantly stopped, and his weapon transformed into nothing more than a useless hunk of steel, which was carefully compacted to the point where it put extreme pressure on his arm, without causing physical damage. "Who... Or _what_ are you?!" He yelled as he tried desperately to pull himself out of Greed's grasp.

"I am a homunculus." he said as he tightened his grip, causing Dosu enough pain to gasp, from pain _and_ surprise. "My name is Greed!" Now, he tightened his grip even more, causing the steel to cut into Dosu's arm as his bones were broken, making him yell loudly. "And I.. Am... _The Ultimate Shield!!_" His eyes were filled with an insatiable blood lust as he gave one last motion to his arm, tearing Dosu's muscles and tendons apart, and tearing the entire lower portion of his arm off of his body; while, at the same time, raising his leg up, kicking Dosu in the opposite direction.

"_Oh my god!!_" A female shinobi was heard yelling at the top of her lungs as everyone watched the specticle.

"I... I don't believe it..." Naruto watched on with horror filling his eyes, short gasps of still breath hanging in his throat.

"_AAAAHHHHHHH!!_" Dosu yelled out in agony, lying on the floor. His right arm was raised up in the air, blood running down from over the chunk of steel that clamped the torn flesh, while his left arm was placed over the injury, in an instinctive attempt to somehow stop the pain and/or bleeding.

"I told you you couldn't beat me, kid. It can't be done." He tossed the broken arm in his hand down the the ground, next to Dosu. "It looks like you can't fight anymore, so I guess that means I win." He then changed his arms back to normal and started walking away. Suddenly, he turned to Hayate. "Hey," he said, snapping him out of his momentary lapse of thought. "You might want to get a stretcher for this kid before he passes out from the loss of blood. And don't even waste your time counting. He's done."

"Oh, right." Hayate raised his hand in the air. "The winner of the ninth match is Greed." Immediately, the medics rushed in to help the injured Dosu, getting his body on a stretcher, and carefully handling the removed arm to set it in ice until it could be reattached.

"Oh, god," Shikamaru said from his own viewpoint. "We were barely able to hold our ground against those guys." His eyes twitched as he watched with the same feeling of fear as Naruto in the pit of his stomach. "But... Greed not only beat him, he just tore his arm off with his bare hands! Screw this! If I have to fight him, I'm withdrawing immediately!"

"That show of strength might have been a bit over the top, I think," Kurama said calmly.

"Wrong," Edward answered him. He was still looking at Greed, and caught everyone's fearful attention. "You should never expect anything less from one of his kind. After all," he narrowed his gaze, "that's the nature of a homunculus."

"A homunculus?.." Kakashi questioned him.

"Uh, what about... the third ninja... in that group?" Hinata asked, scared to death. "Is he anything like Greed... or Hiei?"

"No, of course not," Ed turned to her, changing his expression instantly to a care-free smile. "Al is nothing like that." He turned to face his brother on the opposite balcony, who was waiting for his teammate to return to his spot. "Unless he has to fight, Al wouldn't hurt a bug." He turned back to Hinata. "And he uses as little force as possible to win when he _does_ fight."

"Oh, that's good to hear." Hinata felt like the weight of the world was lifted off of her shoulders.

"Heh-heh-heh..." An evil grin from the other balcony laughed quietly. "Amazing... Such power... So there's another here that can show me what it is to be truely alive." Gaara watched, eyes wide with excitement as Greed continued walking on the ground towards the balcony. "I thought that Uchiha was the only one capable of providing me with that wonderful feeling."

"Careful, Gaara," Baki warned him carefully from behind. "We still have to wait a while longer."

"Hm, I see. So, all my students were defeated in this round," the leader of the sound ninja said to himself. "Pity. I suppose we just weren't strong enough to make the cut." He closed his eyes and lightly giggled to himself. "Well, I suppose there will be other chances. Oh yes," he narrowed his gaze at the Hokage, then towards Kakashi, "more chances, indeed."

"Well, that's the end of my turn," Greed said after jumping back up on the balcony, beside Alphonse.

"It sure took you long enough," Al said with a little attitude. "I've seen you win in half that time."

"Yeah, well, I was a little bored," He replied, puting one hand on the back of his neck in an apologetic manner.

"Now, if I may have everyone's attention (_cough_), please watch the screen." Everyone followed Hayate's instruction. The board flashed between the last six contestants, with everyone's hearts caught in their throats (except, of course, Gaara). Finally, two names froze on the screen: 'Alphonse Elric vs. Hinata Hyuga.'

"Ha--" Hinata gasped as she watched in fear. "You mean... I'm..." She turned her head to look at her opponent, who she found staring at her as if sizing her up. "I can't..." She turned away, fearfully. However, she found herself facing the rest of the leaf ninja, all eying her for a response. She glanced slowly over each face, stopping finally on that of her cousin, Neji Hyuga. His cold, unforgiving eyes burned into hers, almost as if telling her she was useless.

"Uh, Hinata?" Naruto said, snapping her out of her trance. "What's wrong? Are you going to fight him?" She gasped lightly. "And prove your strength?"

"You know, Hinata," Kurenai said from behind her, "you can withdraw if you really don't think you can handle it. No one will hold it against you."

Hinata turned her head and faced the arena, with determination set in her mind. "No," she answered. "I _will_ fight... And I will _win_!" She turned around to walk to the stairs leading to the floor, with everyone moving to make a path for her. Everyone, that is, except Neji, who just continued staring at her as she walked towards him. However, she didn't make eye contact with him again, but kept her eyes forward and continued walking past him.

"Well, I guess It's my turn," Al said with a smile. "Time to prove my stuff." He then put one hand and the opposite foot on the rail, ready to jump.

"Good luck," Greed said from behind him.

"Yeah, like I'll need it," he turned his head, revealing a suspicious look in his eyes. Then, he jumped down and waited in the middle of the floor as Hinata slowly made her way in front of him.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Hayate stepped between the two. "If the two of you are ready (_cough_), then let the tenth match begin!"

XXXXX

Pretty graphic, huh? Well, please review. Thanks!


	10. A Sorrowful Acquaintance

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Sorry, I forgot to mention this earlier. You may already have figured it out, but this story will contain spoilers for these series, largely _FMA_ and _Naruto_. Also, I will usually include explanations given in the _Naruto_ series, but I will try to give the shortest versions I can. Sorry if that takes away from any of the action.

* * *

Ch. 10 "A Sorrowful Acquaintance"

"The tenth match is Alphonse Elric vs. Hinata Hyuga. Please come to the center of the floor. (_cough_)"

"Hmm," Al said from his spot. "So, I'm fighting a Hyuga, huh?" He turned to see who it was, finding it to be a young girl with short hair, pale eyes, and a coat. "I wonder what kind of fighter she is..." He waited and watched her for a moment, as she finally started moving towards the steps. "Oh good, she's ready."

"Good luck," Greed said from behind Al, as he got ready to jump to the ground.

"Ha, like I need it," Al turned to face him, revealing a suspicious look in his eyes. Then, he stopped to think. "Hmm... You know, I think I have an idea."

"Hm? What?" Greed offered a curious look.

"You'll see," Al said as he smiled, then jumped over the rail. After reaching the center of the arena, Al stood and waited for Hinata to reach him.

For a moment, Al expected her to say something. As he figured out she wasn't going to say anything, Hayate stepped forward. "Now, if the two of you are ready (_cough_), fight!"

"So, your name is Hinata?" Al asked curiously, with a smile.

"Hu?.. Um, yeah, I am," she answered timidly.

"Go easy on me, Hinata. I haven't been a ninja for very long."

_This is my chance!_ Hinata grabbed a few shuriken and jumped into the air. "Admitting something like that was a mistake!" She tossed the shuriken at him, hoping to quickly end the fight. "Shuriken Strike!"

"Ahhh!!" Al awkwardly dodged the the shruiken, barely missing them. "Hey! That's not easy!" Then, he fell, and landed on his hand. "Ah!!" He landed on a shuriken. Hinata just ignored Alphonse's protesting, and landed in front of him, ready to punch. "Oh-crap-oh-crap-oh-crap!" Al yelled as he hopped up and dodged a continuous assault. After a minute, Hinata finally let up, allowing Al a chance to get his bearings. "Whoa, you really go all out, don't you?"

"He's fast, too." Naruto said from atop. "What is with that team?"

"Huh, he's even better than I remimber," Ed said from beside him.

"What? Whaddaya mean?"

"Before I got here, or _we_ got here, Al and I were always getting into fights. Sometimes, we even fought each other for fun, to keep our skills sharp." He thought for a moment. "But I still don't know why he's here..."

"Well, why are _you_ here?" Sakura replied, believing this would provide a simple and obvious explanation.

"(_Sigh_) You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He took his now-familiar thinking stance once again. "I wonder... I know I saw it work, but... Maybe he was forced to come here?"

"Huh? What the heck are you talkin' about?" Shikamaru asked him.

Back on the ground, Hinata paused for a moment. "I will not lose. I will not run away." She turned get a glance at her favorite young blonde boy, the source of her ambition. "I have to win!" She jumped into the air, reaching for several kunai. "Kunai Rain!" Then, she tossed a double handful of them towards Alphonse.

"Ugh, she's really serious," Al mumbled to himself, as he jumped to the side, clear of the attack, digging his gloved hands into the ground to offer enough traction to stop.

"Useless," one ninja said from the balcony, catching everyone else's attention. Naruto, Sakura, Edward, and everyone else turned to see where the voice came from. They found Neji, watching the match as if judging the participants. "She is useless as a fighter, and has no business as a ninja." He narrowed his already sharp gaze, giving a disgusted look. "Everything she is, is nothing but a joke."

"O...kay," Ed responded, turning his head to the opposite direction. "Sounds like _somebody_ has some issues," he whispered.

"Hey," Naruto snapped at the pail-eyed boy. "You got a problem with her?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He switched his stare from Hinata to Naruto. "And if you don't like it, you're more than welcome to do something about it."

"Grhh, why you sorry--"

"Naruto, stop!" Kakashi interrupted him. "You know good and well all that would do is get you disqualified."

"Uh, but Kakashi-Sensei..." Naruto started, then, realizing he had no powerful comeback, he hung his head low in defeat. "Fine. But if I get to fight him later, I'm gonna remimber this."

Meanwhile...

"What? How were you able to get out of the way so quickly?" Hinata asked as she landed on the ground, balancing on the handles of the wedged kunai.

"Heh, quick reflexes, I guess," Al answered. "Along with good training."

"Well, you won't be able to dodge this one," she told him as she put her hands together. "Cloning-no Jutsu!" There appeared several of Hinata. "Now," the clones all said as they jumped into the air, "Storm of Steel!" At that moment, each clone of Hinata pulled out double handfuls of senbon, shuriken, and kunai, and hurled them at the blonde boy on the floor.

"Oh, not good," he simply said from the floor. _There are too many to dodge,_ he thought. _And there isn't enough time for me to find the real one. Damn... Guess it's time to stop this little game._ He then put his hands inside his jacket and pulled out two kunai of his own, waiting for the barrage to come to him.

"Al!" Ed and the others watched as the weapons made their way towards his brother, made invisible by the collection of smoke from their impact with the ground. He turned to his sensei, worried. "He's okay, right? I mean, regular clones don't have physical density, and neither do their weapons?"

"That's right, Edward," Izumi answered him calmly. "Most of that attack is just an illusion. Only the real Hinata and _her_ weapons could do any damage." To this, Ed turned back to watch the match helplessly, knowing he could do nothing for his brother without being severly punished.

Hinata and her clones quickly landed, waiting to see what was concealed in the smoke. _Did I get him? Is it over?_ Slowly, the smoke disappated, filling everyone with suspense. As it thinned, a figure could be seen crouching, arms crossed in front of his face. "Is he..."

"That was close," Al's voice was heard from the cloud, standing upright. He started moving, stepping out of the smoke. "If I hadn't left these in my pocket," he raised one hand, spinning a kunai on his finger, "I'd be a goner right now."

"Amazing," Sakura said from her standpoint. "He blocked every weapon. I've never met anyone that fast."

"Yeah. No doubt he's picked up a few new tricks here, like me," Edward answered with relief. "After all, he _is_ my brother."

_I don't believe it_, Hinata thought to herself with a fearful look. _This person..._

"Well, I guess this little game has gone on long enough," Alphonse said as he quickly pulled his finger out of the kunai and grabbed it in mid-air. "After that little demonstration, it looks like I'm more than welcome to attack. That's good," he narrowed his gaze, revealing a sinister shadow in his eyes, "because I haven't been allowed to do anything since we arrived." Quickly, he hurled one of his kunai towards the young kunoichi, making a thin cut all along her cheek.

"Uh--" _What... just happened? He had a kunai in his right hand... Where did it go? Wait!_ She slowly moved her hand up to her cheek, feeling a string of pain and warmth. _Did he just cut me? But... I didn't even see it!_

"Whoa, he's so fast, I didn't even see him move," Naruto said, astonished, and nearly speechless. "He must be as fast as that Hiei guy."

"Not quite," a quiet voice said from the side. Everyone turned to see Kurama, his eyes studying the boy. "However, it is unusual for a human to move with such speed."

"You're right," Edward caught everyone's attention as he answered, a suspicious feeling in his gut. "Something's not right here. I don't doubt he's had to train as a ninja, but he's _never_ moved like this before."

"You see," Alphonse told Hinata, "up until now, Greed and Hiei have had all the fun, taking out all our enimies, including in that 'Forest of Death.' But now," he finally lowered his arm, "it's my turn." Then, Al quickly ran towards Hinata, landing a punishing blow to her stomach. As a result, she lost her breath and was sent flying several feet, while, at the same time, her clones disappeared. She quickly rolled to a stop, her arms covering her stomach.

"Hinata!!" Naruto yelled, worried.

"Al!" Ed yelled at the same time, wondering why his brother was acting this way.

_Naruto..._ Hinata thought, hearing the voice of the boy she loved. She opened her eyes, to look at the figure standing only feet in front of her. _He figured out which was the real me... How can I beat someone like that?.._

"Come on, Hinata! Don't just take that from him! Prove to him how strong you really are!"

_Uhh--_ Suddenly, several thoughts started flooding Hinata's mind, memories of Naruto.

--

_"You're not gonna scare _me_ away!" Naruto yelled as he slapped his hand down on the table. _

_"I'll never give up on my dream to become Hokage, no matter what," he huffed breathlessly. _

_"I have to get through this test on my own," Naruto told her, "without help."_

--

"Unhh..." Hinata struggled to move her arm, slowly pushing herself back up.

"So, you're already getting back up?" Al asked coldly. "You must really want to win."

Slowly, Hinata managed to get back on her feet. "I... will not lose. Not to someone like you."

"Little girl," Al told her as he raised another kunai up in front of his face, "you don't even know me."

"Maybe not," she replied as she put her hands together. After several handsigns, she revealed her jutsu. "Byakugan!" Suddenly, the veins in her temples bulged, and the look in her eyes changed. "But I know enough to defeat you." At that, she changed her stance to something unfamiliar to many of the genin. "To prove my strength... And never give up... That is _my_ nindo, my ninja way."

"Is that so?.. Well, then, why don't you go ahead and attack me? We'll see if your strength is any good..."

"Haahh!" Hinata yelled as she pushed for her first hit, aiming for Al's throat with an open palm.

Al pulled back, narrowly avoiding the attack. _She's pretty fast when she want's to be._ He continued avoiding the attacks. _I can even feel her chakra_, he thought as he started grinning.

"Huh? What the heck... What is that attack?" Naruto asked.

"That is the Hyuga Style, 'Gentle Fist'," Guy answered him. The children turned their heads questioningly. "It is the most powerful type of taijutsu known in the Land of Fire. It uses small bursts of one's chakra to attack an opponent." They turned back to face the fight, still listening. "It's different from the style Lee and I use. Our's is used to cause extreme physical damage; large bruises, broken bones, and the like. The Hyuga Style, on the other hand, is used to cause internal damage, attacking the chakra network and internal organs. It may not be as entertaining to watch, but it _is_ extremely effective."

"Huh? Chakra network?" Once again, Naruto was clueless. "What's that?"

"Damnit, Naruto," Sakura yelled at him from behind, making him shrink in surprise. "How did you even get to be a genin without knowing this stuff?!"

"It is a nearly microscopic system that runs along the entire body, carrying one's chakra, similar to the vascular system, in which one's blood is carried. And there are fixed points in the network, that can inhibit or strengthen the flow of chakra, depending on how they are hit. Furthermore, because of their extreme proximity to major organs and blood vessels, if the network is attacked, it causes physical damage to the body, as well."

"Really?.." Ed thought to himself, watching his brother continue an almost acrobatic maneuver to avoid the hits. "But how can someone possibly see something that small, especially if it's _inside_ the body?"

"It's her Byakugan," Kurenai said from the other end of the group.

"Byakugan?"

"It's the special bloodline trait of the Hyuga family, also known as their Kekkei Genkai. There are multiple Kekkei Genkai within the Hidden Leaf Village, most notably the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan, and the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Ed said impatiently.

"Is it anything like the Sharingan?" Sakura asked, joining in.

"Sort of," Kakashi answered. "Actually, the Sharingan has limits to what it can do and see. The Byakugan is not bound by such limits. Unlike the Sharingan, which can only immitate jutsus and hypnotise enemies, the Byakugan has the power to see even more than the human eye. It can reach vast distances, and can see through solid objects. That is how the Hyugas can attack the chakra network."

"Incredible," Kurama stated quietly.

Meanwhile, on the ground...

_Unh... Why... Why can't I hit him?_ Hinata continued attacking, and was troubled and angered over not being able to land a single blow. _Am I _really _that slow? Or is he that fast?_

Al was still moving like a trained acrobat. _Huh, I wonder... If what I heard about this attack was true..._

At that moment, Hinata finally landed a hit on him, right in the middle of his chest. _That's it! I got him! I know I did!_

"Yeah! She finally got him!" Naruto yelled with excitement. "Way to go, Hinata!"

"Al!" Edward yelled at nearly the same time, concerned that his brother had just been hit by this attack.

_This is my chance!_ Hinata continued her assault, landing a barrage of hits all over Alphonse's body, as he struggled to keep from falling down.

"Al, no..." Edward looked on in fear for his little brother.

"Now," Hinata yelled, "I'll end this fight!" She then landed a hard hit straight beneath Alphonse's neck, targeting the last visible chakra point. There was silence for a moment, as everyone watched with anticipation.

"(_Khack--!_) Okay," Al said, caughing up a small amount of blood, "that's about what I expected." Suddenly, he placed his hand on the back of Hinata's head, and before she knew it, he quickly pulled her head down, and raised his leg, ramming her face into his knee.

"Ahh!!" Hinata quickly pulled her hands to her face, trying to relieve the pain, and stop her nose from bleeding, as she landed on her knees.

"No! Hinata!!" Naruto's expression instantly went from excitement to anger.

"It serves her right," Neji said heartlessly, catching everyone's attention. "She has no right to be in the head branch of the family if she can't even win one fight without running away."

_What the hell?_ Ed thought as he watched Neji's unsympathetic expression. _Is he serious? What the hell is his problem?_

Alphonse wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his glove. "Sorry to get your hopes up, kid, but I just had to see what kind of attack you had up your sleeve. And if that's the best you've got," he stooped down and lifted her up by the hemn of her coat, grinning devilishly into her eyes, "then I have nothing to worry about."

_Oh, no... What kind of person is he?_ Hinata thought, her eyes wide with fear. _I hit every major chakra point in his body, I _saw_ it! How can he even act like he doesn't feel it?_ She tried desperately to pull herself out of his grip, to no success. She had even managed to escape from her jacket, only to have the neck of her shirt in his grasp.

"Now, since I handled your best attack, and pretty easily, too," Alphonse told her, still grinning, "it's about time to wrap things up." After that, he started spinning her around. After only two or three fast revolutions, Al twisted his stomach, tilting Hinata for her head to crash into the ground.

"Hinata!!" Kurenai and Naruto each yelled. Naruto was gripping the rail with all his strength. Sakura and Ten Ten watched with eyes wide with fear, their hands over their mouths.

"Alphonse! What are you doing?!" Edward yelled, surprised, and afraid, over the way his brother was acting.

Al ignored the cries from the balcony, and continued tossing around the helpless Hinata like a ragdoll. "Hey, come on," he told her, tossing and attacking her violently. "It's no fun if you're not awake to enjoy it!" Slowly, she was being beaten unconscious, becoming so because of the extreme pain and the loss of blood.

"Let her go, you bastard!!" Naruto yelled again, nearly ready to jump over the rail.

Edward yelled beside him, "Alphonse, stop it!! You won!! She can't fight anymore!!"

"That's what makes it worth the while," Al whispered into the frightened young girl's ear, before tossing her into the air.

"_No!!_" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs, fighting to get over the rail, Kakashi holding on to the neck of his jumpsuit.

"Hey, I get it now! He's toying with her, just like I did," Greed said from the other end of the building, finally getting an epiphany. "Oh, well. After this, it'll be a miracle if the girl even survives." Immediately, Al jumped up, reaching the ceiling, and jumped back down, pointing his knee down to give one finishing attack.

_Naruto..._ Hinata thought as she helplessly watched Alphonse come speeding towards her. _I'm sorry... I wasn't strong enough. All I wanted was for you... to be proud of me._ She closed her eyes right before she hit the floor, not fighting the pain. _Please... Forgive me._

"This isn't good," Kakashi said quickly, tossing Naruto back against the wall. Quickly, seeing that Hinata's body couldn't handle another blow like that, Kakashi, Kurenai, Izumi, and Guy all moved down to the arena, and, along with Hayate, stopped Al only inches above Hinata's now limp body, his knee at her throat. "I think that's enough, don't you?" Kakashi asked.

"If you so much as _touch_ Hinata again," Kurenai said with a scowl, squeezing her grip tighter on Al's wrist, "she won't be the only one lying like a ragdoll."

"Ah, Hinata!" Naruto took this opportunity to jump down to the ground and see her, followed closely by Ed and Kurama.

"Because of interference," Hayate said out loud, "the match is now over. The winner is Alphonse Elric (_cough_)."

"Well, at least I won the match," Al said coldly as he pulled himself from the grasp of the jonin around him, and adjusted his coat.

"Hinata..." Naruto said as he slowly reached the scene. He saw the condition she was in: her face and body covered in blood, gashes in her face and arms, her shirt torn in several spots, her eyes half-opened and glazed over. She had passed out. "You bastard... I'll make you pay for that!" He started to run towards Al, pulling his fist back, ready to attack him.

"Naruto, stop!!" Naruto froze, feeling his jumpsuit being pulled. He turned back, seeing Ed holding onto him, his hair hanging over his eyes with a shameful look.

"Let go of me!" He pulled himself out of Ed's grasp, trying to attack Al once again. "I don't care what happens. He's paying for what he did!" However... "(Uhff--)" He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Ed had quickly spun him around and knocked the breath out of him with his right hand.

"It's my fault," Ed said, his head hanging down with shame, with tears starting to show on his lashes. "I told her he wasn't dangerous. If I had known..." The jonin moved away, allowing the medics to delicately move Hinata's body onto the stretcher. "Kurama?.." Ed turned to his teammate, a sorrowful look in his eyes.

Kurama simply nodded in response, giving Ed some relief. _Hmm... I wonder what that was about?_ Kakashi thought as he watched.

_I see..._ Izumi thought at the same time. _So, he really feels guilty, and that's how he plans to make up for it._

Ed stepped forward, ready to face the one who caused this damage. "Alphonse, you idiot! What the hell was that all about?!"

"You ought to know, Brother," Al replied. "We're ninja. That's what we do. We fight until we win."

"But we don't keep beating on people when they can't even fight back! Brother," Ed pulled himself back, his tears starting to fall. "You were so kind and gentle before," he whispered. "What happened to you?"

"I became a ninja," Al answered with a simple smile, almost like nothing had happened. Then, he turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Ed got his brother's attention as his expression changed slightly. "I haven't seen a headband on any of you. At least tell me what village you guys came from."

Al turned to face him. "We're from the Village Hidden in the Ice. Happy now?" He continued walking back towards his group.

"Excuse me," Hayate popped up. "Once the next match is chosen, you will all have to move back up to the balcony."

"Yes, yes, we know that," Kakashi answered. "And we'll take our students back up with us."

"Very well. Then please watch the screen for the next match," he told the entire building. Now there were four contestants left. Everyone watched silently as the names flashed on the screen. After a moment, two contestants appeared on the screen.

"What the--" Naruto said in surprise.

"Whoa! Look at that," Sakura said from her purch.

"Well, well. What are the odds?" Kakashi wasn't quite as surprised as his students. "Two in a row."

"I can't believe it." For some reason, Neji wasn't very happy about the pairing. The names on the screen read: "Neji Hyuga vs. Edward Elric."

"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it myself," Izumi said out loud. "Two Elric-Hyuga matches, back to back."

"Well," Guy told Ed, "good luck, kid. You'll need it against Neji." With that, all four jonin started walking away, with Kakashi pulling Naruto along, and Kurama following.

"Thanks, Kurama," Edward said silently.

"The eleventh match," Hayate pointed out to the entire building, 'Neji Hyuga vs. Edward Elric.' Since Edward is already here (_cough_), Neji, please proceed to the center of the arena."

"Fine." Neji jumped clear over the rail, landing softly on the ground. "We'll soon be finished with this formality." He passed the jonin, and soon met Edward in the middle of the now-war-torn floor. _Hmm... Edward Elric,_ Neji thought to himself.

"Now, if the two of you are ready," Hayate signaled, "fight!"

* * *

Don't worry people. I have my reasons. Just offer me your opinions on the match, and keep reading the next chapters. Review my story. Please? Pretty-please? With sprinkles?..


	11. Secrets of A Shinobi

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Edward's hand signs should not be taken seriously. This is my own shinobi variation of his alchemical skills.

* * *

Ch. 11 "Secrets of A Shinobi: Hagane-no Renkin-jutsushi!"

"The eleventh match," Hayate pointed out to the entire building, 'Neji Hyuga vs. Edward Elric.'"

"Fine." Neji jumped clear over the rail, landing softly on the ground. "We'll soon be finished with this formality." He was soon standing in front of his opponent. _Hmm... Edward Elric..._

"Now, if the two of you are ready," Hayate signaled, "fight!"

"Don't waste your tears on her," Neji told Ed, who was wiping the stains from his eyes and cheeks. "It would be just as well if he had been allowed to finish his attack."

Edward's eyes jumped open with anger. "Don't you _dare say that about my brother!!_" Ed yelled as he ran to attack Neji.

"Why do you even care about that worthless girl?" Neji asked as he jumped to the side, dodging Ed's punch by well over a foot. "You don't even know her."

"I have my reasons, you heartless bastard," Ed responded, standing back upright. "How about you? Why do you hate her so much? Huh? What did she ever do to you?!"

"You have the nerve to ask such a thing of a Hyuga? Such insolence." Neji raised his hands to form the hand signs for an attack. "You'll pay for having the nerve to speak to me like that. Fire Style: Fireball-no Jutsu!" He then placed one hand in front of his mouth and blew fiercely, creating a large, growing flame that came roaring across the floor, heading straight for the blonde-haired teen. However, Edward didn't try to move out of the way of the attack.

Instead, he put his hands together, forming a few hand signs. Then, as the fire came within reach, Ed put his hands in front of him, and did something that stunned every ninja in the building (aside from his own squad, and the Hokage, of course). As the fire got close to his gloved hands, he turned his body, pulling his hands apart, and actually guided the flame around his body. Neji stopped blowing, shocked at seeing such a specticle. As the final flames surrounded Edward, he lowered his arms to the ground, forcing the fire to rise from below. Neji stared in surprise as Ed continued this strange, new jutsu, quickly turning the fire-whirl into small flames that died out overhead.

Every shinobi in the building was speechless. In only seconds, Edward had shown up one of the strongest jutsus known to any of the genin. He had commanded fire.

"I... I don't believe it," Sakura said, stunned. "I've never seen _anything_ like that. Like he just bent the flames to his will, and smothered them."

"How in the hell did he do that?" Naruto said, equally surprised.

"It is quite impressive, isn't it?" Kurama said from beside them, catching their undivided attention. "However, if Neji is as skilled as I have heard, we're in for quite a treat." He grinned with a sort of amusement. "Now that his brother is involved, Edward will not accept defeat."

"Amazing," a raspy voice once again spoke, quietly. Gaara watched with eyes wide in surprise. "Truely amazing. This is unlike anything I've ever seen." He started grinning again, but got another headache, trying to keep himself under control, causing another panic among his group.

"Why, you... How did you do that?!" Neji yelled. "How can you possibly move flames in the middle of the air?!"

"Do you know what fire needs to survive?" Ed asked as he lowered his arms. "A flame needs only three things to continue burning: heat," he started counting on his fingers, "fuel, and oxygen. Without fuel, your attack was bound to burn out soon. All I had to do... Was alter the air composition around my body."

"What?" Neji winced, surprised. "You... altered the air?"

"Izumi," Kakashi asked, standing behind his students. "Did I hear that right?"

"Yes, Kakashi, you did." She closed her eyes and grinned slightly. "It's his special technique."

"Well, that would explain how he stopped that flame earlier."

"Huh? What flame?" Sakura asked, unaware of her previous danger.

"Earlier," Izumi answered her, "when you were unconscious, Lee's opponent used a fire-based attack, and accidently hit this spot. Edward was the one who protected you."

"What?"

"Sakura," Kakashi said from behind her, "don't tell me you haven't noticed the scorch marks around us?"

"Uh, scorch marks?.." She looked back, and found what looked like a large, black ring on the wall, with slight ash on the floor of the balcony. "Oh, right. Of course! I already _knew_ about that." She scratched the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. _Oh, damnit!! _Her alter-ego appeared in her head. _How did I not notice that before now?! Gahh! I can't believe it! Stupid-stupid-stupid!_

"Wait a minute," Neji paused, thinking out loud. "Edward Elric... Of course!" He narrowed his gaze on his opponent. "I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner. It's you. You're the ones."

"'The ones?' Just what the hell do you mean by that?"

Neji dropped his stance. "A rumor has been circulating around the village, about an exceptional group of shinobi."

"Really?" Ed smiled slightly and took a step forward, putting his hands on his hips, eager to hear about this rumor. "And just what kind of rumors are we talkin' about?"

"The villagers have been talking about a mysterious group of people found unconscious outside the village gates some time ago." The entire building listened closely to Neji's story. "They were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. After extensive questioning and investigations, it was determined that they were not a threat to the village, so they were allowed the chance to become ninja, entering into the Hidden Leaf Academy. However, they accomplished something never before seen in this village: all three candidates met every requirement presented to them, graduating from the academy in only a matter of months." The few ninja in the building who didn't know about the new students gasped quietly, their eyes widened with surprise. "Supposedly, the three graduates, all males, were put into one single squad, which is highly unusual, since all squads are required to have a medical specialist, who is usually a female. Further more, it has been said that the shinobi in this squad posess unique skills, unfamiliar to the Land of Fire, or, in fact, to _any_ of the shinobi nations."

"Unfamiliar... skills?" Naruto asked, barely able to keep up.

"Kurama," Sakura asked the tall boy next to her. "Would that include that attack you used on me?" Kurama simply remained silent, listening to Neji's recollection.

"However," Neji continued, "the most surprising rumor, and in fact the most disturbing, is that this squad, which had only recently graduated, was actually assigned a B-ranked mission..." Everyone in the building quietly gasped at this revelation. "And they all came back in one piece."

"Kurama?.." Sakura turned to face him once again, eyes wide with fear.

He just smiled slyly.

Edward chuckled a little, closing his eyes, and scratched the bottom of his nose. "That's some story. But I think you forgot something."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

He slowly lifted a gaze up to Neji. "Throughout the entire mission, in all the fights, we never killed one person." The Leaf ninja stared in shock as Edward said this outloud.

"So I was right." Once again, Neji narrowed his gaze. "It _is_ you." Then, he took his stance again. "Then this is my lucky day."

"Oh, yeah? And why's that?"

"Because I get to defeat one of the members of this so-called 'special' group!" He then pulled out a handful of shuriken, and tossed them at his opponent. "I don't know what kind of attacks you use, but you can't win against me!"

"You really think so?!" Ed responded as he jumped to the side, guarding his face with his arm, as a few of the stray shuriken struck him, making a dull, almost inaudible sound. After landing, "It'll take more than a few pieces of metal to beat me," he said as he easily pulled out the weapons without even wincing. "Here, I think these are _yours!_" He quickly tossed them back to Neji at break-neck speed.

_Damnit!_ Neji barely saw the shruiken and pulled his head back. After they passed him by and stuck in the wall, "Damn you, Elric! Just give up this fight now!" He tossed a few kunai at him this time.

"Like hell, I will!" He put his hands together, making the signs once again, and swung his arm in front of him, blocking the row of kunai, two of which stuck. "This match is too important to me!" _Wait a minute,_ he though, recalling something strange. _Those kunai had brown handles. Did he--?!_ His eyes widened, and he quickly flung his arm back, allowing the movement to loosen the blades.

_Damn, he's persistant,_ Neji thought to himself._ And why doesn't he flinch when my weapons impale his right arm?_ Just then, only a second after the kunai came out of Ed's arm, they exploded, covering him with smoke and shaking the building. "Heh," he smiled. "At that close range, there's no way he avoided the blast."

"Edward!" Sakura yelled. She turned to Kurama, finding him still smiling. _What the--? Why is he still grinning? Doesn't he get what just happened? Unless..._ She turned back to the smoke. _What does he know that we don't?_

As the smoke thinned, Neji thought he had already won. But his thoughts were interrupted by a now irritating voice. "That was close. Any longer, and I could have been badly injured." Ed waved the smoke to the side as he walked forward.

"Gah... I don't have time for this. I've played around long enough." Neji put his hands together. "It's time to finish this match." He formed his hand signs, triggering his jutsu. "Byakugan!"

"Well, I guess that just about wraps up _this_ match," Guy said from the end on the balcony. "Once Neji releases his Byakugan, his opponents don't stand a chance."

"I wouldn't count Edward out just yet, Guy," Izumi responded, grinning, peaking everyone's curiosity. "Ed has a knack for achieving the impossible."

"Now, Elric," Neji prepared himself, "I'm ending this match!" Then, he adjusted his Byakugan, ready to search his opponent. However, what he found was quite a surprise. "What the--?!" He drew back for a second, out of shock.

"I was paying attention to what the jonin said about those eyes," Ed told him, not moving. "So, I guess you see them."

"Huh? What? What does he see?" Sakura asked, unable to contain her curiousity.

"It's Edward's secret," Izumi answered, a little to the other teams' surprise (including the jonin). She faced Sakura and Naruto, continuing. "Naruto, you asked earlier why Ed was wearing gloves. No doubt everyone else was wondering as well." She turned back to face the fight. "If Neji forces his hand, you may just see what he's hiding beneath those sleeves."

"Oh, this ought to be good," Shikamaru commented from the side, the only member left in his group.

"What happened? They're not real," Neji thought outloud.

_This is it,_ Ed thought to himself. _He's off guard!_ Without hesitation, he quickly ran towards Neji, and got ready to land a solid punch on his jaw.

Neji snapped out of shock as Ed was less than a foot away, his fist racing past his face. _Damn!_ He quickly moved his head, missing the punch by a few inches. "Too slow!" He yelled as he raised his hand up, and landed a hard Gentle Fist on Ed's chest, tossing him back a few feet.

"Edward!" Sakura yelled again in concern.

"It doesn't matter if you _are_ a fake," Neji told him, "I can still attack your chakra points, and then you can't do a thing to me."

"Did he just say 'fake?'" Shikamaru asked. Everyone looked as Izumi and Kurama, who remained quiet.

"Hah-ha-ha... Is that what you think?" Ed said, still lying on the ground. Slowly, he supported himself on his arms, and got back to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip. "Well, I didn't really think I could hide it forever," he told him, placing his left hand on his right shoulder. "But you have to admit, it gives a person one hell of an advantage, especially when they know how to use it properly."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled at the team beside him. "Will one of you tell us what the heck is going on?! What is everyone talkin' about?!"

"So, Neji," Ed said, taking his hand off his shoulder. "Now that you're over the shock," he raised his right hand up, "you wanna try that again?"

"Gladly." Neji smiled and immediately took the offensive, attacking with the Gentle Fist again. As he threw hit after hit, Edward continuously dodged each attack, and countered with a hit of his own.

"What the heck are they doing?" Naruto watched as Edward continued the same acrobatic display as his brother.

_Damn,_ Neji thought. _I'll never win this way. He's able to dodge every attack._

"What's wrong, kid?" Ed asked as he continued dodging. "Having trouble with me?" Suddenly, Ed sidestepped an attack, spinning around, planning on landing a hard hit on the back of Neji's neck.

_What?! He spun around... I'm in his blind spot! Now's my CHANCE!!_ This time, Neji threw a jab filled enough chakra to break a person's bones. "You can't dodge this one!!" He aimed for Ed's right arm, hoping to break it. However, Ed saw this out of the corner of his eye, and slowed his spin, causing Neji to rip through the fabric of the sleeve.

_Damn, that was close,_ he thought as he jumped back. _I can't afford another mistake like that, or else I'm screwed._ After he landed, the fabric around his arm settled, with a large rip running from the shoulder down past the elbow. The leaf ninja wondered at what they all saw, not knowing just what it was. All they could tell, was that there was a large piece of grey metal gleaming the light from above. "Okay, I guess that was a bad idea," Edward said with a grimace as he turned his head to his shoulder. "I guess I can't fight with this shirt anymore." He grabbed at the back of the shoulder and started ripping the fabric, releasing it from around his arm and chest. As the sleeve came rolling off of his arm, the rest of the ninja watched in shock. "Congratulations, kid! You're the first ninja to do this to me in a fight."

"I... I don't believe it," Sakura gasped as she stared at Edward's arm. "His arm... It's..."

"It's made... of metal," Naruto finished her sentence.

Shikamaru added, "But... how? Why?"

"What is he?.." Ten Ten asked quietly from the far end.

"I always wondered how long I would be able to hide this arm of mine here," Ed said from the ground, tossing his ripped overshirt to the side, leaving his sleevless undershirt. "But I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore." Then, he formed his hand signs once again.

"This is where the real fight starts," Izumi said, startling everyone around. "I doubt Neji could escape this battle without injury, even if he won."

"Okay, Neji," Edward said from the arena. "Since you seem like such a skilled fighter, I guess I don't have to keep screwing around. You said my team had special techniques that no one had ever seen. But I suppose I could make an exception for you." With that, he placed his hands on the ground, causing large sparks to come flying out in all directions. "This oughta slow you down!"

As Neji saw the sparks, he jumped up into the air, believing he was safe. _I don't know what he did, but it won't work on me!_ As he started to land close to Edward, who jumped back a few feet, he prepared to attack. However, when he landed, he found a problem: the ground was no longer solid stone. He nearly lost his balance, and became preoccupied with not falling on his ass. "What the hell--?! Sand?!"

"That's right," Ed answered from only feet away. "Or, at least, a general equivelant. I changed the composition of the concrete floor, transmuting it into sand. I doubt you'll find it as easy to move on as the old floor, considering there's no sand in this village."

_Hmm... He's right. Maybe it's time we incorperate different elements and materials to train our genin with,_ the Hokage thought as he heard this.

"Oh, man. If one of us had to fight that guy," Kankuro commented, "I don't know whether it would be a good thing or not."

_Did he say 'transmute?'_ Gaara thought to himself.

"Oh, and I suppose you can just glide along the grains?" Neji retorted.

"Please," Ed answered, bending down and digging his right hand a few inches into the sand. "I can move just fine." He then stood back upright, holding a fistful of sand in his glove, and slowly let it flow from between his fingers. "I used to train around it with my brother all the time."

"Izumi," Kakashi started, "just how is he able to do these things?"

"It's called 'transmutation,'" she answered, everyone else listening closely. "By using this technique, he is able to change the physical composition of literally any material he chooses, for example, air or earth, and use it to his advantage."

"I see," Kakashi commented.

"Damnit," Neji thought outloud. "How did you do this, anyway?!"

"Ya really want to know?" Ed grinned devilishly. "I don't think you'd believe me even if I told you."

"Heh, try me." Neji gave a sort of grin in retort.

"Where I come from, the people practice a scientific art called alchemy. The act of alchemy is called transmutation. This act can only be performed when you already have something of value to begin with." Then, Ed put his hands together again, forming the first hand sign for his transmutation jutsu: Tsuru. "You see, in order to gain something of value, you have to sacrifice something of _equal_ value. This is first principle of alchemy." Then, he made the second sign: Same. "But for that sacrifice, nearly anything you want can be acheived." The third sign: Uma. "For example, when I put out those flames, I took the oxygen in the air and fused it with carbon atoms close by, making an impenitrable wall of carbon dioxide." The fourth sign: Kitsune. "Or the ground, simply seperating the fused molicules and changing the nitrogen to carbon." Finally the fifth sign: Ookami. "And right now," he placed his left hand on his right arm and ran it down past his right hand, causing a flash of light to wash over it. In the wake of this flash, more metal appeared, a long blade running from the middle of his forearm, a full foot past his fist, ripping off the glove on his hand. Everyone watched in awe of this specticle. Neji drew back, wincing in surprise. Gaara watched from the balcony, eyes wide with pleasure and anticipation.

"Okay," Neji said quickly. "Now what did you do?"

"Nothing special. I simply reorganized the physical structure of my arm, making this blade."

"He's amazing," Sakura commented as she leaned against the rail, watching intently, paying attention to what Edward had explained. "I never even _thought_ there was a jutsu like that."

"Yeah," Kakashi answered from behind. "Me neither..."

"You see," Ed continued, "in my time here, I've even learned how you might call me by my old title. I was considered the best alchemist in the nation, and given an honorary title..." Then, he dug his bladed arm into the ground, catching it beneath the sand, and thrust himself forward towards Neji. "I was called '_Hagane-no Renkin-jutsushi_,' the Full-Metal Alchemist!!"

* * *

There it is, people. The first part of the Edward-Neji match. Hopefully, I'll be able to come up with a few surprises in the next chapter. I'm _begging_ you, people... Give me more reviews for this story!


	12. Challenging Convictions

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: This chapter will mainly be a condinsed explanation of both Neji and Edward's pasts. But still, see if you like it.

A.N. 2: There's also some slight spoiler for _FMA_.

* * *

Ch. 12 "Challenging Convictions"

"You see, in my time here, I've even learned how you might call me by my old title. I was considered the best alchemist in the nation, and given an honorary title..." Edward dug his bladed arm into the ground, catching it beneath the sand, and thrust himself forward towards Neji. "I was called '_Hagane-no Renkin-jutsushi!_' I was _the Full-Metal Alchemist!!_"

_What the hell--?!_ Neji didn't even have time to complete a thought, as Edward quickly closed the gap between them, thrusting his blade towards him. On instinct, he twisted his body back, escaping a nasty gash in his shoulder. _How did he suddenly get so fast?!_ He countered with another Gentle Fist, a few blows straight to Ed's chest.

"_GRRAA--!!_" Edward grunted from the impact. The sheer force of the blows knocked the breath out of him, as they sent him flying back several feet, rolling through the sand.

"No! Ed!!" Sakura yelled before she realized it.

"Edward!" Kurama jumped in surprise at the same time, catching everyone else's attention. Until now, Kurama had shown complete disconcern for his teammate's safety. However, with this new brand of attack, this fight was anything but a game.

"I guess the pipsqueak didn't see that one comin', huh?" Greed commented from the other side of the building.

"That Neji kid seems pretty fast," Alphonse answered. "_I_ might even have trouble keeping ahead of him." Then, he grinned non-chelantly. "Of course, he's not my problem. Ed's the one who has to worry about him."

"So, you have a fancy title," Neji mocked him. "Do you really believe that will change anything? Fate has chosen for you to fight me, so you are destined to lose."

After a moment of stillness, Hayate stepped forward. "I will now begin the count. One--"

"Wait!" A voice yelled across the floor, followed by a painful cough, expelling a little blood. A pile of sand started to move, as Ed's arm pushed against it. "Hey, Neji," he started as he slowly rose up to sit. "I have a question. How old are you?"

"I hardly see how that's any of your business, Elric," Neji responded, with a scowling expression.

"(_Cough-cough_) Come on," Ed retorted, slowly rising to his feet. "It's a harmless little question."

"Fine. I'm fourteen years old. So what business is it of yours?"

"He-he-heh, that's good. Only two years' difference." He rose his left arm up to wipe the blood from his chin with his sleeve. "I'd hate to have to kick some little kid's ass."

"Huh, will ya look at that? He's back up already," Kakashi commented aloofly. He turned to the teacher of the other contestent. "It would appear Edward might actually win this match."

"No, don't say that!" Guy yelled, before he thought about it, catching everyone's attention. He turned his head back to the ground. "Neji's never been beaten. I'm sure this kid wouldn't have what it takes to accomplish a feat like that."

"Well," Kakashi answered, "he _did_ say that the team was assigned a B-ranked mission. Is that right, Izumi?"

"Yes, Kakashi. In fact, if you can believe it, these kids were barely even injured." At this, Guy-Sensei, Ten Ten, Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Kurenai-Sensei drew back in shock. Kakashi-Sensei, Asuma-Sensei, and Shino just listened with slight disbelief.

Back on the ground...

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Neji mocked Edward. "I've attacked your major chakra points. Now, even if you _can_ perform any more jutsus, they will be much more difficult."

"Heh-he-he-heh..." Ed quietly chuckled, in spite of the pain in his chest. "Sorry, kid. But it'll take a lot more than that to keep me down."

"Rgh... You persistant bastard..." Neji quickly ran forward, preparing to land another damaging blow. "This time, I won't be so generous!"

"I don't think so!" Ed yelled, struggling to dodge the strikes. _Damnit, that attack really hurt! I can't move the same as I did earlier. _"_Haarrkk--_" His thoughts were stopped by a painful hit to his stomach.

_Ha! Got'im!_ Neji made a few more attacks on Edward's chakra points, with little resistance from the blonde. "How do you like _this_?!" He finished the attack with a super-charged punch to the face, sending Ed flying several feet, rolling through the sand, and hitting the wall of the building.

"Edward!" Izumi yelled as she clutched the rail, to everyone's surprise. Sakura, Kurama, and Naruto watched with utter concern.

"Give up, Elric! Accept your fate, and forfeit this match," Neji said ruthlessly.

"I guess that's my cue (_cough_)." Hayate proceeded to the center of the arena, through the sand floor. "One... Two... Three..."

"Edward," Kurama stared as his teammate lie motionless.

"I... I don't believe..." Izumi started. "He's _never_ lost."

"Well, Izumi," Guy answered, "I told you Neji couldn't be beaten. Once he breaks out that Byakugan, it's lights out."

"... Seven... Huh?" Hayate was interrupted as a heap of sand suddenly fell, as if disturbed at the base.

"What the--?" Guy questioned, seeing movement at the wall. "It can't be..."

"Ha-ha, ha," Izumi let out a sigh of relief, seeing that her student was still conscious, as did Kurama.

"Grnn... Such a fool..." Neji said to himself, a disgusted expression plastered on his face.

Edward slowly rose up on his arms, eventually getting on his knees, and taking a small breathing break. "Hey, kid," he started. "You didn't really think... it would be... that easy, did you?" His eyes were half open, and his hair was filled with sand and scattered across his face.

"Damn you, Elric! Why won't you stay down?"

"You really don't get it... do you?" He stuck his blade back into the ground, bracing himself, slowly rising to his feet. "These little stunts of yours... They're nothing... compared to what I've been through."

Neji was slightly taken back at this remark. "What did you say?.."

"Tell me something, Neji," Edward started, finally catching his breath. "Why do you hate your family so much?"

"What?" Neji retorted.

"Earlier, it seemed almost like you hated that girl, Hinata. Why is that? She's like your cousin."

"That's none of your business!" He ran towards Edward again, ready to attack. However, Ed managed to dodge the attack, and countered, cutting into Neji's shoulder, and making him jump back.

"Neji!" Ten Ten gasped.

"What the--?" Guy was shocked, seeing his student actually injured. "No way! How was he able to do that? Neji's never been injured before."

"It might not be any of my business," Ed said with a slightly sour expression, "but it _is_ my fault that Hinata got hurt." His eyes drifted up to the balcony, meeting his brother's. "I can't change that, no matter how much I would like to." He looked back to Neji. "But I can't stand seeing someone who hates their own family!"

Neji glared at his opponent. "If you knew anything about the Hyuga clan, then you wouldn't feel that way."

"You really think so?!" Ed jumped forward, this time, taking the offensive, and forcing Neji back. "I've seen a lot of bad things, Neji, trust me," Edward told him as he jumped back, dodging an attack. "I've witnessed much more than any person should ever have to. So I don't think you have anything that could surprise me."

"What if I told you that the Hyuga clan were nothing more than slaves?"

"What?" Edward hadn't expected to hear this.

"That's right. Slaves called for whatever reason to do whatever they are ordered, without question, without hesitation. The only free members of the Hyuga clan are those in the head family, the main branch of the clan... Hinata's family." The other leaf squads gasped silently at this revelation.

"Slaves..." Edward tried to comprehend the idea.

"That is why I hate Hinata, because her father was born into the main family, instead of mine!" Neji rushed at Edward, ready to attack.

"Haa--" Ed was stopped short in thought, as he continued blocking each attack, swiping them away so as not to damage the steel that formed his arm.

"Simply because her father was born a few seconds before mine," Neji continued, attacking, "he became a member of the main household, while my father became a slave. We are cursed into a life of servitude, while they simply order us to do whatever they please, without any regard for our own well-being!"

"Urgh, you idiot!" Ed swiped another hit, and pulled in to attack. Neji jumped back again, finding himself on the defense again. "If you hate it so much," Ed jumped forward with his blade, causing Neji to retreat several feet away. "Then why don't you just revolt, or something? Why do you let them just treat you like slaves?"

"It's because they can!" Neji yelled in response, making Ed flinch. "They have the power to do with us as they please!" Once again, Neji lunged for Edward. However, this time, Ed thought quickly and dodged it, tossing his blade at Neji.

_Oh, no!_ Ed thought quickly, thinking he had gone over the line. His blade was moving towards Neji's head. _If he doesn't move..._ However, his fears weren't realized, as Neji saw the attack and pulled back, but not quickly enough. The blade had made contact with his temple, causing a slight cut, as well as slicing off his headband. After Neji landed a few feet away, there was no mistake. "What the hell--?" Ed stared with a hint of horror in his eyes. Everyone in the arena was equally surprised, noticing the same thing. There, on Neji's forhead, was some sort of strange tattoo, an "X" with two hooks pulling in from the sides. "What is that?"

"I suppose I cannot hide _my_ secret any longer, either," Neji responded. "From an early youth, every member of the Hyuga clan who is not born from the main family is subjected to a specialized jutsu, which places a curse mark on us... This mark," he pointed to the mark on his head. "And whenever one who has the mark disobeys the main branch, or is found getting out of place, they can activate it to destroy our minds."

"What the--? Is he serious?" Naruto jumped forward, listening closely.

"My people are cursed," Neji continued, "and there is no hope of ever being freed!" He charged towards Edward, snapping him out of his daze. "We are to follow the path we are given obediently, to the end!"

"Shut up!" Ed side-stepped another attack, punched for Neji's chest, startling him. "Don't try to play me, Neji. I'll admit, I didn't know you were slaves," he whipped his blade out to the side, "but answer this... Has Hinata ever done _anything_ to you?" Neji drew back, taken by the question. "Has she ever shown any kind of dominance over you, using that mark to make you submit to her?!"

"No..." Neji slowly answered, "She hasn't. But her father has done more than enough of that!" Once again, he attacked, with Ed dodging. "The main family is nothing more than a group of ruthless cut-throats who will sacrifice anyone to get their way." He paused his attack for a moment, then came down with a hard punch. "Even my _father!_"

"Ha- what?!" Ed questioned, jumping back.

"A few years ago, there was an assassination attempt on Hinata. However, the ninja that had been sent to do the job, a ninja from the Land of Clouds, was discovered and killed. For this act, the rest of the Thunder ninja wanted restitution. The Leaf Village tried extensively to explain the situation and justify their actions, but the leaders from the Thunder Village denied any involvement in an assassination, and wouldn't listen. They demanded a sacrifice. They wanted the body of the man who had killed the intruder... Hiashi Hyuga, my uncle, and head of the main family." Everyone continued listening closely. "However, the head family concocted a plan. You see, Lord Hiashi was not an only child. His younger brother, Hizashi, was alike in all physical aspects. And so, in order to keep Lord Hiashi around, they ordered his brother, Hizashi, to be killed. Do you understand?" Neji asked coldly, almost begrudgingly. "They ordered my father's death just to protect themselves."

"I had no idea you'd been through anything like that," Edward responded, catching Neji's attention. "But don't think that your story changes anything. Like I said," he raised his right arm, staring at his hand. "I've seen my share of pain as well. Let me ask you, did you watch your father die with your own eyes? Did you see his body, or attend his funeral?"

"What business is it of yours?!" Neji asked, anger building inside of him.

"Answer the question!" Ed snapped back immediately. "Did you or did you not witness your father's death yourself?"

"No, I didn't!" With this answer, he rushed towards Edward, and managed to land another Gentle Fist attack, knocking him back to the ground. "I wasn't allowed anywhere near him when it happened," he answered more calmly. "I tried to escape those who kept guard over me. But in the end, there was nothing I could do to stop his execution."

"It's too bad," Ed told him, getting back up to his feet. "It sounds like you loved your father a lot."

"I did."

"But no matter how much you resent your uncle, or the rest of your family... You don't have to sleep with the pain of watching him die." Neji stopped for a second, wondering what his opponent meant. "I, on the other hand, don't have those luxuries."

"What?.."

"I lost someone very precious to me when I was young, too. Me," he turned up to look at Alphonse, "and my brother."

--

_"Here ya go, Mom," Ed walked into the bedroom with an apple and a knife, followed by his brother. "I got you something to eat!" _

_Their mother sat on the bed, and turned her attenion away from the window, chuckling. "Well, hello there, Ed. You too, Al." She smiled at her young, beautiful children. "You brought something for me to eat, did you?" _

_"That's right!" Ed was quick to answer. Immediately, he started peeling the apple in hand. _

_"Brother, come on! I wanna help!" Al argued, fighting with his brother over peeling the apple. _

_Trisha just smirked, and kind of laughed. "Alright, that's enough." She gently took the items from both boys, and started peeling it herself. Then, she cut it into slices, and handed them back to the boys. "Here you go, boys." _

_"Uh-- But, what about you, Momma?" Al asked, almost heartbroken. _

_"Come on, Mom," Ed told her. "You need to eat, too." _

_"It's alright," she answered, smiling like always. "I'm not hungry." _

--

After a moment of thought, he looked back at Neji. "When I was only ten, our mother suddenly got very ill, and became unable to do anything for herself or us. Al and I could only watch, as her condition continued to get worse. For well over a month, we couldn't do anything but watch her. Not long after that... She died." A grim silence fell over the arena, though the non-leaf shinobi weren't all that touched by Ed's story. However, there was one.

"His mother... died..?" Gaara said silently, listening, thinking about the pain he shared, although he would never admit any emotion he had.

"Can you imagine the pain we felt, watching helplessly, as our mother slowly died right in front of us?" He held out his right hand, the blade horizontal, parallell to the ground. "I held onto her with this hand, as she slipped away from us." Then, he dropped his hand back down. "You see? You're not the only one who lives with loss." Forming his transmutation hand signs, he continued. "So don't try to play on my sympathy!" Once again, he placed his left hand on the ground (unable to use his right, because of his blade), re-transmuting the sand back into the old concrete tiling.

"What, again?" Again, Neji jumped at the sight of the sparks. However... "What the--?!" Edward had, somehow, simultaniously transmuted the sand back into concrete, while creating large stone spikes, hurling them from the ground into the air, after Neji. "Damnit!" Neji quickly pulled out two kunai, and, transferring his chakra through them, cut through the stone projectiles. "You bastard!" He hurled them down towards Ed, who simply blocked them with his arm. After landing, Neji retorted, "So, you lost your mother. That puts us on equal ground! At least you still _had_ your father!"

"Wrong, Eagle-eye!" Ed yelled in anger, forced to recall the tragedy that plagued his life. "My brother and I were alone! You loved your father, but we didn't have that choice!" Once again, the shinobi were startled by this revelation. "Our father abandoned us when I was only six! He never even came to her funeral..." he said, looking up with tears in his eyes. "For over ten years, we never saw or heard from him. And I hated him for it."

"Abandoned?.." Gaara questioned silently, another word he was quite familiar with.

"They were alone..." Naruto thought out loud. _I know just how that feels, having no other family._

"Ten years, huh?" Greed asked Al beside him, listening to the conversation.

"That's right," Al answered, with a smug grin. "The old man was gone for ten years, but I guess he just got homesick." He stared back down at his brother. "Later, he left to try and fight Dante," his voice got lower, "but Dante won, and sent him through the Gate."

"Was that long before you two got here?"

"Hardly. A few days, tops."

"Don't try to compare your life to mine," Edward told his opponent. "I've been to Hell and back. I've been through things that would drive ordinary people insane."

"Don't get high-and-mighty with _me,_ Elric," Neji said, pouring out his chakra into his hands. "You think you know pain?" He stood for a moment, envisioning the mental pentagram used for his favorite jutsu. "Then witness the power of the Hyuga Style!" He jumped forward, ready to attack Edward's entire chakra network. "Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms Attack!!"

"Come on," Ed replied, simply taking a defensive stance, his bladed arm in front of him.

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Okay, guys, I have to say, this chapter gave me a little trouble to begin with. But I think I might have done pretty well. Sorry about it being more about their pasts, instead of having a lot of action. But I plan on making it up in the next chapter. No promises, but I should able to wrap up the match, and even this third exam.

As always, please R&R.


	13. Unknown Factor

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Warning: EXTREME spoilers for _FMA_ ahead.

* * *

Ch. 13 "Unknown Factor: The Owner of Two Chakras!"

"You say you know pain? Then witness the power of the Hyuga Style!" Neji charged towards Edward, his palms filled to the brim with his chakra. "Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms Attack!"

"Come on," Ed took a defensive stance, his bladed arm on guard. _Damnit! He's fast! And his chakra just sky-rocketed! I'm not sure I can do this..._

"Now," Neji called, throwing his first jab, "feel _real_ pain!!" Immediately, Edward was on the defensive, trying desperately to dodge the blows. However, it wasn't long before he got caught in the high-speed attack. Very quickly, his chakra supply was being severed, with no hope of creating another transmutation. The sheer strength of the attacks started tearing away at the fabric of his shirt, revealing his chest and stomach, and the scars that came along with it.

"No, Edward..." Izumi watched over the rail as her student was being beaten senseless.

"I don't think he can stand much more of this," Kurama commented after her. "With his limbs missing, his level of chakra is already depleted. This is only making matters worse."

"What? Limbs?" Sakura turned to ask him. "You mean there's more than one?!" However, Kurama remained silent, his eyes glaring with concern at the match.

"This will keep you down!!" Neji yelled as he delivered the last strike, a shot straight to Ed's diaphram. He unintentionally used excessive force with this last blow, once again knocking Ed several feet away, and quickly rolling to a stop.

"Now," Guy commented from above, catching everyone's attention again, "this match is over. Edward isn't getting up from _that_. Anyone who gets hit with that attack of his is at least immobile for several hours. However, most lose consciousness completely."

"I'll start the count," Hayate said, walking out to the arena once again.

"There's no need," Neji told him, making him pause. "He won't be getting up any time soon." Neji turned to walk away, as Hayate proceeded to count to ten once again.

"Wow," Sakura said silently, amazed at the fight she had just witnessed. "I don't even know what just happened. That was... Incredible."

"I just can't believe it," Izumi said from beside her. "I just didn't think it was possible..."

"Six... Se-- Huh?" Hayate paused as a hint of movement caught his eye.

"What?" Neji stopped in mid-step, with an angry scowl on his face, hearing the interruption of the count. "Don't tell me..." Quickly, he turned around to see.

"What the..? It can't be..." Guy stared with a dumfounded expression.

"Impressive," Kakashi commented slyly.

Edward was now supporting his weight on his right arm, and slowly pushing himself up with his left. "I... told... you," he said with small gasps of energy, as he slowly pulled his legs forward, "I'm not... losing... this match."

"You just keep coming back for more," Neji stated indignetely. "You don't know when to stay down, do you?"

"Gnn..." Finally, Edward was up on his feet, managing to keep his balance. "Like I said, it takes more than a few hits to keep me down. Now," he put his blade up once again, "it's my turn." With that, Ed charged Neji with everything he had, slashing violently, but to no success.

"It's no use," Guy said outloud. "With the Byakugan, Neji can see everything around him, so he can dodge any attack Edward makes. He has lightning reflexes, and virtually no blind-spot."

"So, any attack is pointless?" Izumi asked him, concerned.

"That's right."

"Just give up!" Neji told Edward, as he easily avoided another jab from the blade, and punched Ed's stomach. "You're only embarrassing yourself now." He pulled his arm away, then spun and kicked Ed back. "It is abundantly clear now that I am stronger _and_ faster than you. Accept your fate, and forfeit."

Edward coughed as he rose back up. "You really think so?" He raised his arm to wipe the blood from his lip. "Ahh, I think I'll make my own choices."

"Really? Then why do continue to subjegate yourself this torture continuously, instead of _choosing_ to give up?"

"It's because I have some unfinished business," Ed answered, glancing up at his brother. _Alphonse..._

"I don't care what kind of business you have with anyone," Neji retorted. "If you really feel sorry for that weakling, Hinata, then you are no better than her." He narrowed his gaze, concentrating on his opponent. "Destiny seperates the strong from the weak, and I am strong. Not even that fool Rock Lee has ever beaten me, even with his Primary Lotus. So what makes you think you could ever hope to accomplish such a task?"

"It's because I have a goal," Ed answered, turning back to Neji. "And I will not allow myself to fail!" Ed rushed forward and slashed at his opponent.

"A goal?" Neji asked as he jumped back, avoiding the attack. "Is that all? Heh, you're as foolish as Lee, or that brat, Naruto."

"What?!" Naruto yelled from the balcony. Kakashi and Sakura fought to keep him from jumping down, while he yelled consistantly for them to let him go.

Neji continued, "Those fools actually believe that if they simply 'work hard,' then they can accomplish their goals. To become useful shinobi, or becoming Hokage. Ha! Those delusions of grandure are nothing but a waste of time. Once a person is born, their path in life is decided. Fate cannot be changed. Exceptional shinobi are born with exceptional strength and talent. Fate chooses who becomes a Kage leader. The only fate that we all share equally... is death."

"Really? Fate?" Edward couldn't help grinning at this notion. "Well, sorry to break it to you, but I really don't buy into that crap."

"What did you say?.." Neji winced, angry that his philosophy was being called into question.

"Yeah. See, I've always had this idea that humans created their own destiny, that our choices make us what we are, not some sort of all-seeing power." Without realizing it, Edward placed his hand over his shoulder again. "The idea that someone else can control us and make us do anything they want doesn't really sit well with me."

"Yeah, well, like it or not," Neji headed for Edward again, "you can't change _destiny!!_" Once again, Ed was on the defensive, barely managing to dodge Neji's attacks. However, he was still weighed down by the pain, and wound up getting hit again. As he lie on the ground, Neji continued. "Save yourself the pain and embarrassment, and stay down."

"I don't think so," Edward said as he slowly got back up once more. "I already told you, I'm not going to lose this match."

"Hnnn... You bothersom pest... What does it take to keep you down?!" Neji charged, once more.

"Sugoi," Sakura said quietly. "This is amazing. Even after all those hits, Ed's still up and fighting."

_Shit! I can't handle any more of this!_ Edward used every bit of his energy to stay ahead of the attacks. _Those hits of his really did a number on me. Not only is my chakra gone, but he's damaged my vascular system, too. The blood's not flowing through my body like it should. I feel it backing up, stagnating in my veins. I... I feel like... Like I'm going to pass out!_ "Gughhh--!" In the midst of his thought, Edward had only momentarily lost track of Neji's hits. But that was all it took. Neji landed a damaging blow on Edward's chest, knocking the wind out of him, and then he landed a solid punch across his head, sending him back several feet through the air.

"No! Edward, stop!" A voice rang out in the building. Everyone turned to look at the person who had yelled. It was Izumi, clutching the rails, with tears about to run down her cheeks. "Please, Edward, stay down. It's not worth it."

_It seems like she cares for him quite a bit,_ Kakashi thought to himself, turning back to the arena.

_Damn,_ Edward thought shallowly, staring at one of his hands lying in front of him. _All of a sudden, I can't move. I... I don't think I can..._

"I suppose now, you won't be getting back up, will you?" Neji asked with a self-satisfied grin. "Maybe now, you believe that you won't win. That destiny really _does_ hold meaning."

_Alphonse..._ His eyes were dim, and in a single moment, which felt like forever, Edward drifted into a heavy sleep...

* * *

_"(...)" _

_"(...)" _

_"Edward..."_

_"(...)" _

_"Edward."_

"Uhh-- What?.." Ed tried to open his eyes, only to shut them again, a reaction to the blinding light. Without realizing it, he tossed one arm over his eyes in an attempt to shut out the light.

_"Edward, get up."_

"Who's there?" He asked, slowly removing his arm and trying to adjust his eyes to the light.

_"I said, get up."_ A distant voice echoed endlessly through the emptiness.

"What's going on? Where am I?" He slowly sat up, squinting his eyes.

_"You should know that, Edward."_

"Ha- What?" His eyes shot open, now ignoring the light, and straining to see. "It can't be." He immediately got up on his feet. "I don't understand." He turned his head to each side, expecting to see something. "This has to be some kind of trick! Where the hell am I?!" Suddenly, he froze. He slowly turned around, to look behind him. Though he found what he expected, he was still in shock. "But, I don't understand... How, did I..?" There, in front of him, stood a large stone gate with double-doors. The sides were modeled similarly to bodies around poles, and in the middle of the doorway, where the doors parted, was the pattern of a large eye. Once again, Edward found himself standing in front of the Alchemical Gate, the pathway between his world, and this one.

_"So, once again, you stand before the Gate, the source of all knowledge."_

"Wait a minute," Edward started. "That voice... It can't be..."

_"It seems you do not have much time."_

"What?"

_"You say that you do not believe in destiny."_

"Hah--" Edward gasped as the doors quickly swung open, revealing the darkness, and the mischievious eyes that lie inside. Though, at the top, was one large, tilted eye, staring out endlessly, as if watching all existance. Just as quickly, one large arm shot out, taking hold of Edward's head. "What the hell--?"

As the hand wrapped around Ed, a bright light slowly started shining from it. _"To prove yourself, you must remove this arm before the light takes you completely."_

_No,_ Edward thought to himself, as the light spread, as well as the pain. _This can't be happening. I can't die this way! First, it took my arm, then my leg, and now, my head?!_ He quickly moved both hands up, inside the dastardly grip that held him, and started pushing as hard as he could. _It can't end this way, it _can't!!

_"Time is running out,"_ the voice echoed as the light crept around his head.

_Damnit! The pain..!!_ He tried even more desperately to push against the grip, making no noticable progress, as the light continued creeping up on him. Suddenly, his mind flooded with memories.

--

_"In life, I was called The Slasher" a voice said from inside a suit of armor, holding a samuri sword before him. "But here, I am called Number 48." _

_"If these boys can perform a human transmutation, and live," Mustang said from the doorway of the Rockbelle home, "then their dad just dropped a wrung on my priority list." _

_"Just look at how precious she is," Major Hughes told him, shoving the picture in Ed's face. "Can you believe she's already four, now?!" _

_"I promise, Fullmetal, I will make this quick," Scar said, his hand over Edward's forehead. _

_"What about Grandma and me?" Winry asked him, tears running down her cheeks. "We're a home that's always been here! Why do you want to keep shutting everything out?!" _

_"Brother, what are we gonna do?" Al asked, sitting with his knees up, as Edward stood beside him, both of them staring at their mother's grave. "How are we gonna live without her?" _

--

_Winry?_ _Alphonse?! _Suddenly, Edward was filled with a new feeling, a sort of emotion, neither anger, or sadness, or happiness.

--

_"Alphonse, don't!" Winry yelled to him. _

_"I have to!" Al said, after protecting Ed from an attack by Wrath, "His arm and leg are my brother's, the things he lost because of me! It's all my fault!" _

_"We can't kill her! She's our mother!" _

_"Haven't you been satisfied with my auto-mail, Ed?" Winry asked from behind him, as he lie on the couch, thinking. When he saw her, she continued. "I promise to make the next one even better." _

--

_No... _Edward quickly found himself pushing back the hand, halting the light that was now nearly covering his entire head. In these memories, he had found his resolve. "No..." The light began slowly receding, as he continued to fight off the powerful grip. He had found his reasons for fighting. "I... will not... die... now..." Immediately, he could swear he felt energy re-entering his body, as he pushed back the hand. By now, the light had almost completely receded from his face.

--

_"BROTHER!!" Al watched helplessly from the floor, as his brother lie suspended in the air, empailed on the large stone-like spike Envy had created from his arm. _

_"So, that means you'll come home, soon, right?" Winry asked, catching Edward's attention. As he looked up to see her, she had the most innocent, beautiful smile. _

--

"I still have too much to do..." Though he was still struggling, he had moved the hand several inches from him, and was now pushing it back. "I don't care how powerful you're supposed to be, you bastard..." He stared into the Gate with an intense glare. "I will _not LOSE!!_" With every bit of energy he could reach, he forced the hand away, tossing it back towards it's source.

After a moment, the voice spoke once again. _"Edward Elric... You have passed."_ Immediately, the arm withdrew completely, and the doors shut.

"Huh? Passed?" Edward stared, dumfounded. "Hah- Wait a second!" He looked at his hands. "The blade I made, it's gone. My arm... I can move." He looked back up to the Gate, as the bright light began to envelope it, and him as well...

* * *

"Unhh..." Edward grunted lightly from the floor, slowly coming back to consciousness.

"... Eight..." Hayate continued the count.

"What the--?!" Neji suddenly drew back, his face covered with a fresh, new expression: surprise. His sudden outburst made Hayate pause in his count."What the hell kind of trick is this?"

"What is he talking about?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Whoa, can you guys feel that?" Naruto said, catching everyone's attention. "His chakra... I can feel it... It just soared all of a sudden."

"Not only that," Shikamaru added, eyes wide with surprise, "but it feels different from before, like something totally new!"

_Edward,_ Kurama thougth, continuing to watch his teammate. _What just happened? It's as if you've undergone a complete metamorphesis._

"Unhh-- Damn," Alphonse silently cursed, both he and Greed wincing with a slight pain in their chests.

"It feels like the pipsqueek found the Gate," Greed said.

"Unnhh," Edward grunted, as he slowly got back to his feet. "What the hell..? White?" He looked at his hand, not sure what he was seeing.

"How is it possible?" Neji stared, confounded at the sight before him. "I shut off your entire chakra network. How can it possibly be coming back? And it's a different color, as well!"

"Huh?" Ed looked up at him. "You mean you can see it, too?"

"His chakra is... Another color?" Sakura was practically speechless.

"Damn," Neji silently cursed. As if by magic, Edward's entire chakra network had been freed, allowing the chakra to flow freely again. As well, Neji had previously seen the glow of Ed's chakra as a golden hue. But now, a bright white glow seemed not only to burn from within, but surround him. "Fine. It doesn't matter. I'll just have to cut it off again!" Once again, Neji ran for his opponent, filling his hands with his chakra.

Once again, Edward was forced to dodge the attacks. However, it seemed much easier this time. _Whoa, this is incredible! I can keep up with him again. _

_Damnit,_ Neji thought to himself. _He can move again. I have to stop this!_ Immediately, he withdrew, jumping back. "If I can't hit you with my fists, then I'll just have to use my steel!" He took out two kunai, and tossed them both at Edward, aiming for two specific target areas.

_What the--? Kunai?_ Immediately, Edward managed to measure their trajectory. _Oh, hell no! If those hit, I'm finished!_ He jumped at the last second, with the two kunai cutting through the cloth of his pants, slicing down his lower legs. As he landed, the torn cloth came flying up, revealing his legs. "Damn. I guess you figured if you couldn't hit me, then you'd just saw me off at the knees, huh?"

The rest of the ninja, however, were distracted by what they saw. "What the--? His leg, too?" Sakura, as well as Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, and Ten Ten, stared with disbelief as Edward's lower legs stood exposed, the cloth torn off. "His right arm... And left leg... What on earth could have happened to him?"

"You bastard," Neji said as he started walking forward. "After every single attack, you just get back up, and come back for more." He narrowed his glare, focusing intensely on Edward. "I refuse to be made a fool of!" He quickly sped towards Edward, thrusting his hands violently in an attempt to keep him down. "I am destined to win, to become the best!"

"_Shut the hell up!!_" Edward yelled to him, catching both hands at the wrists. "Do you ever stop talking just to listen to yourself?! You really expect to be the best?! You keep going on about destiny, how people are born with lives that they can't escape! So why the hell do you keep fighting?!" As Neji drew back, taken by this unexpected question, Edward tossed his arm to the side, with his own right hand, and swung towards Neji's head. Neji wasn't able to react quickly enough, and was smacked back, landing on his back, much to everyone's surprise.

"Impossible..." Guy just stared blankly. "He's never been _touched_, let alone knocked down."

"Neji-kun," Ten Ten said silently. "How can he do that?"

"You say that destiny can't be changed," Edward continued, while Neji got back up, "that when a person is born, they can never change who they are. And yet, you want to rise up above the head of your clan, and stop being a slave." There was a quick pause in the arena. "Tell me, what the hell kind of logic is that?"

"Uhn, shut up!!" Neji jumped up towards Ed, and quickly tossed a double-handfull of kunai towards him. "I trust in my destiny!"

"Really?" Edward jumped up, dodging another kunai attack. After landing, and feeling a quick pain in his chest, he continued. "Just what destiny would that be? Are you a slave, or are you free?"

"Arrgg..! Don't you mock _me, Elric!!_" Neji ran straight for Edward, fueling his hands with more chakra for another full on assault.

"I don't think so!!" This time, instead of being forced back, Edward was able to once again dodge and block the attacks, though it took a bit more effort. "Admit it! When you're forced to defend 'destiny,' you don't have a leg to stand on, do you?"

"You're one to talk, Elric!" He quickly drew in for an attack, successfully landing one on Edward's stomach. Though, this time, instead of falling back, Edward simply slid slightly on his feet.

"Ha, face it," Edward told him, pulling himself back upright, despite the lingering pain. "This has nothing to _do_ with fate, or destiny, or whatever the hell you want to call it. You _want_ to escape that curse mark. You only use destiny as an excuse for whatever the hell you want." This statement made Neji wince. Ed quickly lowered his head, and charged for Neji. "Well, I'm gonna show you that fate has nothing to do with it!!"

"You fool! I am _destined to overcome it!_" Neji ran for Edward, also planning to do some damage.

Suddenly, the room fell silent.

"Oh, my god!" Sakura commented.

"Neji-kun..." Ten Ten said silently, watching.

"Edward..." Kurama looked on with concern.

"What the hell?!" Guy yelled (a bit comically).

"Grahh... Damn you, Elric," Neji cursed Edward, the two of them standing motionless. "You'll pay for that."

"Well, now, I kind of doubt that," Ed answered, blood once again dripping from his lip, and sweat starting to roll from his head, as the pain slowly came back. _Damnit! Why do I feel so hot? My insides feel like they're burning!_ In the commotion, as Neji attacked, Ed countered, jabbing his blade into Neji's left shoulder, stopping his hand short, and miraculously catching his right hand while he was off guard. The chakra in his attack was forced through the air space between them, deteriorating by the distance, causing only slightly more damage. "Obviously, you can see a person's chakra system, so when they move, it's not difficult to figure out where, or how fast, they're going to attack. But apparently, when you're concentrating on the chakra, objects are a little harder to _predict_, aren't they?" He pushed the blade a little further as he said this, making Neji wince.

"What is it?.." Blood came flowing steadily from Neji's shoulder, and he started sweating from the strain of the fight, and the pain. "What makes you keep fighting? How can you stand such punishment? Why do my attacks not _keep you down?!_" Neji drew back, releasing his shoulder from the grasp of the blade, and trying to strike Ed once again. But Ed just pulled away, jumping to avoid the attack, wincing as he landed.

"Do you think you're the only one with problems, or something?"

"I told you, don't mock me, Elric!" Neji charged again, with the same result.

"You think that, just because of that mark, you're cursed!" Ed paused for a second. "But you don't even know the meaning of that word."

"And just what would _you_ know about something like that?" Neji asked him.

"Ha, you mean this entire time, you haven't even noticed?"

"What the heck is he talking about?" Naruto questioned.

Sakura turned to Kurama. "What does he mean by that? What hasn't Neji noticed?"

"It's Edward's steel limbs," Kurama answered, not taking his eyes off the match.

"His limbs? But, he saw them before any of the rest of us!"

"Yes, he sees them, but he doesn't know their meaning." This made everyone pause, listening expectantly. "He doesn't understand why Edward has them in the first place."

Ed placed his left hand on his right shoulder once again. "This arm,.." he lowered his head, "and my left leg..." He looked back at Neji. "What you see here is _my_ curse."

"What?.." Neji asked indignently.

"Not long after our mother died, I made a decision." Once again, the surrounding ninja listened closely. "Alphonse and I were going to bring her back."

"He.. What?!" Shikamaru and Sakura yelled simultaniously.

_Hmm... They tried to bring her back from the dead?_ Despite all his students having lost, the leader of the sound ninja was still there, listening. _That's an interresting thought. Hm-hm-hm..._

"But like many before us, we failed, and this is my punishment. I lost my leg because we committed that sin against nature, and I gave up my arm to save my brother." He stared at Neji coldly. "You see? Even if you have that mark on your head, you don't know what it really means to be cursed. We stepped into forbidden territory, and we were punished severely for it. _That's_ a real curse."

"Is he for real?" Naruto asked quietly, awe-striken, like everyone else.

"So don't try to feed me any crap about having a bad life!" Edward charged forward, ready to attack once more.

"I'll show you!" Neji tried to attack, but was now forced to fend off his opponent, instead of the other way around. He was now losing blood quickly, thanks to the wound in his shoulder.

_Damnit!_ Edward thought, as he forced himself to keep attacking, and occasionally dodge. _Something's wrong. This is harder than I thought it would be. My body is still damaged. This energy..._ Ed jumped back, withdrawing his attack, and reached behind him, pulling out some kunai, and tossed them towards Neji. _Hopefully, that should do something._

"Ha!" Neji quickly pulled out his own kunai, and blocked the others, hitting two away to opposite sides, and catching the third in the ring on the end. By now, he was breathing rather heavily. "After all this time, is that the best you can do?"

"Hardly!" Ed answered, forming his hand signs, and getting rid of his blade. _I can't keep fighting like this. I don't think my body can handle this chakra._

"Well I think you're bluffing." Neji grabbed a handful of shuriken, and hurled them towards Ed.

_Oh, crap!_ Edward thought, watching the shuriken spin towards him. _It feels like my body's on fire! I don't know if I can dodge all those things!_ He jumped away, trying to avoid the attack, and block any stray shuriken. However, a few of them lodged into his arm and chest.

"No, Edward..." Sakura watched, nearly as concerned as Kurama and Izumi.

"Don't you see?" Neji asked, slowly walking towards Edward, who lie bleeding, while he had his own hand over his shoulder, trying to stop the blood. "There's simply no way you can win. I can see the effects of your new chakra clearly. Because of my attacks, your body can't handle that much energy, and it's burning through the damaged tissues. I'm sure the pain will continue to increase, until you simply pass out. Whatever you did earlier, it will now be your downfall."

"Unh-uh..." Edward grunted, as he slowly rose to his feet, fighting the pain. "You're wrong," he said, breathing heavily. He took a defensive stance, and continued, "I'm winning this fight."

"You still believe that you can beat me? You really _are_ a fool." Neji released his shoulder, and started concentrating as much chakra in his hands as he could. "Your energy has rendered your body useless. You have no hope."

"I wouldn't count on that." Edward was still breathing heavily, the pain of the white chakra intensifying. "I've had worse odds. I've seen things that would make your skin crawl. I've fought abominations against life itself. Hell, I fought with Death." He brought his hands together, readying another transmutation jutsu. "There's no way in hell I'd let myself lose to some narcisistic little punk." _He's right about one thing, though,_ he thought to himself. _My body can't handle this stress much longer. If I'm going to win, I have to do something now._

"I've had enough of you." Neji charged towards Edward again. "This time, I'll keep you down! One way, or _another!!_"

* * *

This fight is just dragging out, isn't it? Well, the end is near, and it should hold a new surprise. Ta...

And please review, as usual.


	14. Final Rounds

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Warning: More spoilers for _FMA_.

* * *

Ch. 14 "The Final Rounds: Gaara At Bat!"

"Don't you see?" Neji asked, slowly walking towards Edward, who lie bleeding, while he had his own hand over his shoulder, trying to stop the blood. "There's simply no way you can win. I can see the effects of your new chakra clearly. Because of my attacks, your body can't handle the energy, and it's burning through the damaged tissues. I'm sure the pain will continue to increase, until you pass out. Whatever you did earlier, it will now be your downfall."

"Unh-uh..." Edward grunted, as he slowly rose to his feet, fighting the pain. "You're wrong," he said, breathing heavily. He took a defensive stance, and continued, "I'm winning this fight."

"You still believe that you can beat me? You really _are_ a fool." Neji released his shoulder, and started concentrating as much chakra in his hands as he could. "Your energy has rendered your body useless. You have no hope."

"I wouldn't count on that." Edward was still breathing heavily, the pain of the white chakra intensifying. "I've had worse odds." He brought his hands together, readying another transmutation jutsu. "There's no way in hell I'd let myself lose to some narcisistic little punk who doesn't know which way he's going."

"I've had enough of you!" Neji charged towards Edward again. "This time, I'll keep you down! One way, or _another!!_"

_I hope this works,_ Edward thought, as he quickly remimbered something he had learned shortly after getting into the academy.

--

_"Damn," Edward said breathlessly, catching Yusuke and Kurama's attention. "Why do I get... so tired... after using these jutsus?" _

_"Perhaps you're simply not used to using your energy to this end," Kurama answered as he walked towards Ed, interrupting his training with Yusuke. "The use of spirit energy, or chakra as it's refered to here, can quickly leave the user tired, and weary." _

_"Yeah," Yusuke added, joining the conversation. "When I first learned to use my spirit energy, I could only fire one Spirit Gun a day, but after about six months with that old hag Genkai, I actually got up to four." He held up his hand, glancing quickly as he continued. "And, I even learned a second attack, called 'Shotgun.'" _

_"I don't get it," Ed told them, catching his breath. _

_"It's simple," Yusuke told him quickly. "When you use a jutsu, it drains your spirit energy. The stronger the jutsu, the more energy you use. Didn't you ever have to use your spirit energy, doing that alchemy stuff?" _

_"Not really," Ed answered him. He lowered his gaze, his eyes shadowed in memory as he continued. "It's hard to explain, but the energy people use for alchemy in my world comes from a different sorce. You really just need basic knowledge of chemistry, and the atomic make-up of whatever you want to change." _

_"Wait," Kurama interrupted. "You mean you've _never_ used your spiritual energy before?" _

_"No, I guess I haven't." _

_"Hell, no wonder you're so weak!" Yusuke yelled at him. _

--

_The jutsu drains the energy,_ Ed thought, as he continued his hand signs._ And the stronger the jutsu, the more energy you use. I guess this is it._ However...

"Now, you're _finished!!_" Neji had beaten Edward to the punch, and landed a devistating hit on his chest, forcing him into the air, as he continued his assault. _This time, there's no way he can continue!_ Eventually, Neji's attack ended, leaving Edward a near-lifeless wreck on the floor.

"No... Edward..." Izumi stared with utter disbelief, along with Kurama, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sakura. Edward Elric was now on the floor, practically unable to move.

"Well, it looks like that's it." Everyone turned their attention to Kakashi. "It seems this fight is almost over."

"No..." Sakura turned to look back at the older boy on the ground. "It can't be..."

"Damn," Neji cursed silently, staring at Edward. He held his shoulder as blood quickly flowed from it, making him wince from the pain. "It's still there. How is this possible?"

"(_Kaughk--_)" Edward coughed violently, quickly scaring nearly everyone in the building. "Damn, that hurt." Slowly, he turned and pushed himself up.

"Damn you, you relentless bastard." Slowly, Neji was starting to feel dizzy from the loss of blood.

Edward slowly got to his knees, breathing heavily, and made the last hand sign. "This ends now." Then, he placed his hands on the ground, creating a burst of energy around him. Quickly, a white light surrounded Edward's body, swirling up around him.

"Whoa!! What the hell's happening?!" Naruto nearly jumped in surprise at seeing this.

_Damnit!! This hurts!_ Edward was struggling to keep himself together._ Gruhh... I... have to... Push through the pain! It's the only way!!_ Suddenly, something seemed to jump from the ground.

"Unh-- What the hell?!" Neji jerked back, stunned at what he saw.

"What is that?!" Naruto yelled out.

_"This is the power of the Gate!!"_ Edward yelled. Out of the ground, he had created a large stone beast, the head being the only detailed part, as the rest was similar to a snake's body. It resembled something of a dragon. The eyes shown brightly, with blue sparks flying out, while the snout snarled angerly. It sped quickly towards Neji, breaking a path through the concrete floor, with its mouth wide open, baring small, razor-sharp teeth.

"I'll show you!!" Neji quickly pulled out two kunai, and tried to stop the beast in mid-flight. However, it was too strong, hardly even slowing down, and forcing him back into the wall as it grabbed him with its head turned sideways. Neji fought desperately, pouring his chakra into the kunai to stop the power of the impact, but to no avail. As they crashed into the wall, it quickly knocked the kunai out of Neji's hands, and tore at the flesh on his arms with its teeth. And as quickly as it had appeared, it's head broke apart immediately as it smashed into the wall, leaving Neji with the full impact of the stone, which was even more noticable on his damaged shoulder. The rest of the body followed, with the same effect. For several seconds, Neji withstood the pain until the creature had disappeared, filling the entire building with dust, making it impossible for anyone to see the effects of this final move.

"What in the hell... was that?" Guy asked with disbelief.

"I've never seen anything like that," Shikamaru commented, dumfounded.

"Was that a-- a dragon?" Naruto asked with the same expression.

"_Now_, it's over," Kakashi said with finallity, to everyone's surprise.

"Oh, man," Temari commented from the other balcony, with a little fear. "That was unreal."

"Yeah," Kankuro added, eyes wide in shock. "I've never seen an attack like _that_ before. He may even be a challenge for _you_, Gaara."

"Yes..." Gaara stared with a gleeful, evil grin. "A challenge... I can't wait. Hen-hn-hn..." He chuckled, baring his teeth. "Unh--!" Suddenly, he was stopped by a painful throbbing in his head."

"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked him quickly.

After a moment, Gaara stood as if nothing had happened. "I'm fine." _I guess I shouldn't get too excited until I get to face a decent challenge myself._

"Unh, uh, huh... It's over," Al said outloud. "That damned chakra is gone. Ed's link to the Gate is finally closed."

"It's about damn time," Greed answered, gripping his chest.

"Damnit. I hate that gate," Al said contemptuously. "I was left there for so long... I guess because we came in contact with it, it hurts us every time we're around it. At least in this world."

As all this conversing went on, the dust slowly cleared. What everyone saw was only slightly surprising at that point. Both Edward, and Neji, lie face-down on the ground.

"Hokage-sama," Hayate turned to face him, "this is the same curcumstance as earlier."

He simply lowered his head. "So it is. Proceed as instructed."

"Hai." Hayate walked out a few steps, and started counting. "One... Two... Three..."

"Ungh..." A grunt was heard from the ground. Everyone looked with anticipation to see who it was.

"Four..."

"Neji..." Guy half-whispered.

"Unbelieveable." Naruto was in awe.

"Edward..." Izumi said with concern.

"Five..."

Slowly, Neji was trying to rise back to his feet. Though, with his arms damaged, much of his blood gone, and his chakra severely depleted, he was having much trouble.

At the same time, Edward was struggling to lift himself using his own arms. Because he had used so much chakra, as well as having his inner systems damaged, he was fighting with all he had left.

"Six..."

"You... just won't (_Unh--_)... stay down, will you?" Neji asked tiredly.

"Ha-hah-heh... Nope. That's not my style."

"Seven..."

"That's it, Neji-kun," Ten Ten cheered quietly. "You can do it."

"Eight..."

"Edward," Kurama said just as quietly. "You must get back up."

"Come on, Ed." Sakura found herself silently cheering for the blonde boy on the ground. By now, they were almost to their feet, getting up with their knees bent.

"Nine..."

"Uhh--!" Suddenly, Neji found his knees buckling, not able to take the strain of lifting his own body. He fell helplessly back to the ground, as Ed continued, finally standing.

"Ten. The winner of the eleventh match..." Everyone listened closely, "is Edward Elric."

"Yeah!!" Sakura immediately yelled, jumping into the air. "He did it!! Edward won!"

"Edward..." Kurama said with relief. "Hahh... I suppose I should never have doubted his strength in the first place."

"Ed," Izumi breathed quietly, slowly smiling for her student.

"Neji..." Ten Ten said silently. "I can't believe you lost."

Naruto just stared, at a loss for words. Slowly, everything sank in, and he started to smile, then grin and laugh... "Yeah-ha-ha..! Alright, Edward!"

"Hm... So, I finally lost." Neji said, staring at the ceiling.

"Unh-- That's right." Edward slowly staggered in his direction, nearly ready to collapse. "I told you, I wouldn't let myself lose. I even picked up... that last skill from someone I fought a while back. Ha-ha-ha..." Edward chuckled lightly. "You wouldn't believe how hard I had to concentrate to keep that jutsu up during your attack."

"I suppose we really _are_ like birds in a cage," Neji said, lying still.

"Huh?" Ed questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Neji closed his eyes, continuing. "This curse mark that we are branded with, it symbolizes a bird, trapped in a cage. This characterizes the majority of the Hyuga Clan. We're like birds, trapped in a cage for all our lives."

"Shut up," Edward retorted, catching Neji's attention, as he nearly stumbled. "Even birds can be freed. Maybe fate does have meaning to a certain extent. Maybe there _are_ things that we can't avoid. But in the long run," he turned to face his brother once more, with weary eyes, and a heavy heart, "it's our choices that decide who, and what, we are." Immediately, he fell forward. "_Alphonse..._" He hit the ground with a heavy thud, as the medics made their way to the both of them.

"Edward!" Izumi yelled, as she and Kurama quickly jumped over the rail, anxious to help.

"Edward?" Neji asked, wanting to see what had become of his opponent. But he got no answer.

"Don't worry, kid. We'll take good care of you," one of the medics told Neji, as they lifted him onto a stretcher.

"I'll be fine. How's he?"

"Why don't we just leave that to the other medics for now?" Quickly, they carried Neji away, leaving Edward for the others.

"Ed!" Izumi kneeled by his side, anxious to see him. What she saw next was quite a surprise. "What..?" As he lie, unconscious, tears were falling from his eyes.

"Ma'am, please step back," one of them told her as they placed Edward on the stretcher. "He's having trouble breathing." He held one hand at the base of Ed's throat, and the other over his chest. "His circulation has been cut off at several points. His blood isn't all running back to his lungs, and there could be long-term damage if we don't act quickly."

"I know what to do," Kurama told them kneeling down immediately and pulling a few seeds from inside his suit.

"I said stay back!" The medic told him impatiently.

"Wait," Izumi told him, putting a hand up to his face. "He's our medical specialist," she turned her attention to him, "and I have no doubt that he can help."

Kurama pulled out a kunai, and made a long cut down Ed's chest, pushing the tattered remnants of his shirt to the sides.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?"

Kurama simply ignored the other medic, as he held the seeds between his hands for a moment, concentrating. Then, he ground them into a fine powder, and poured it all along the cut, rubbing it in.

"What's going on over there?" Sakura asked. "Why did Kurama cut him just now?"

"It seems Kurama has a few tricks up his sleeve," Kakashi answered. "I think he's trying to heal Edward himself."

"But how could _he_ help?" Naruto questioned.

"That, I couldn't tell you."

"What the hell do you think _that_ kid's doing?" Greed asked, watching the ground. "He just cut the squirt open. Do you think he's really trying to help?"

"I don't know," Al answered, giving a narrowed gaze. "But I'm sure there's something wierd about him. I doubt he could do anything to affect us, but maybe we should keep an eye on him, just incase."

"I've seen enough," one of the medics said. "I'm taking this kid away for _proper_ treatment."

"No, you won't," Izumi grabbed his arm, staring coldly at him. "Kurama knows what he's doing."

"Actually, Izumi-Sensei," Kurama answered, "I'm finished."

"Fine," one of them said. "Now, please move away." With that, they quickly carried Edward out of the building.

"Are you sure he'll be alright?" Izumi asked.

"I am. I used a special spiritual seed with healing abilities, fueling it with my chakra. It won't do much for his chakra network, I'm afraid, but it will target his damaged tissues and begin healing him immediately."

Without removing her gaze from the doorway, Izumi responded, "You truely _are_ one of the most skilled medical experts this village has ever seen."

"Excuse me, Miss?" Izumi turned to find the one addressing her. It was Hayate, his hand in the air. "Forgive me, but we really need to finish here."

"Oh, right," she answered. "Sorry." Immediately, she and Kurama walked back to their positions on the balcony.

Meanwhile, the officials took a moment to witness the new damage to the floor. Only minutes earlier, it had been entirely broken down into sand, and later reconstructed back into concrete. Now, a path had been torn through the ground, with a large pile of rubble at one wall. _Hmm,.._ Sarutobi-Hokage thought. _This will cost a fortune to fix. Unless..._

When they were back on the balcony, Hayate continued. "Now (_cough-cough_), the twelveth, and final, match..." The screen above flashed the names of the only two genin left. "Gaara vs. Ten Ten. Please proceed to the arena."

"Finally," Gaara said flatly. Immediately, he was engulfed by a miniature whirlwind of sand, and disappeared, quickly reappearing on the ground in the same manner.

"You mean that's the kid I have to face?" Ten Ten looked down at her opponent, trying to figure him out. "He doesn't look too tough."

"Don't be so sure, Ten Ten," Guy answered her. "There's something not right about that kid. He's difficult to read."

"Come on," Naruto interrupted. "That browless freak can't be _that_ bad. He's all attitude. I know it!"

"You're wrong," Kurama answered him, staring at the young child. "There is an ominous presence in his chakra." He turned to face Ten Ten. "I believe it would be wise to forfeit this match immediately."

"Please," she said with some attitude. "You really think I'm going to forfeit a match? And without even _trying_?" She looked back down at Gaara, who just stood, waiting patiently, with his eyes closed. "You've obviously never seen me fight."

"Ten Ten," Guy called before she jumped down. "Just remimber this: be careful of that sand of his. There's some kind of strange power in it."

"Right," she answered simply.

_Gee, ya _really_ think so?.._ Naruto thought quietly, staring at the two.

"Now, it's time we finish this exam." With that, Ten Ten jumped clear over the rail, landing only feet in front of her opponent. "So, kid," she started. "You think you can handle me?"

Slowly, Gaara opened his eyes, glaring at her. However, he didn't answer her.

"Very well," Hayate called out. "Let the final match begin! (_Cough-cough!_)"

* * *

Okay, maybe not quite so much action, but I still think I did pretty well. Please review!


	15. The Third Exam Comes To An End

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Very sorry about not updating for so long. I've had a lot of things going on lately, and very little spare time.

* * *

Ch. 15 "The Third Exam Comes To A Close"

"Now (_cough-cough_)," Hayate said between the final two contestants, "Let the twelvth match begin!"

"Come on, Ten Ten!" Guy yelled at the very start. "Make me proud!"

"You bet," she answered quietly, raising a handful of kunai and shuriken in front of her face.

Gaara stared coldly at her, and twitched slightly, making her flinch quickly and jump back.

"Uh, hey," Hayate said outloud, "I said that the match has started. (_Cough-cough!_) Aren't you two going to fight?"

"Well?" Gaara asked in his raspy voice. "I'm waiting."

_What am I thinking?_ Ten Ten thought, grinning slightly. _There's no way I can lose to this little kid._ "Fine. Try this!" She jumped into the air, tossing the kunai and shuriken in her hands down towards Gaara.

However, a large collection of sand seemed to appear out of nowhere, creating a sort of barrier in front of him. His sand barrier easily blocked the attack, making the weapons fall to the ground. "Hn, please tell me that's not all you've got," he told her with his arms still crossed, and his expression unchanged.

"Are you kidding?" She held up a scroll in one hand. "I'm barely getting started." She put her hands together for a hand sign. "Cloning-no Jutsu!" Suddenly, several puffs of smoke appeared out of nowhere, followed by clones of the original Ten Ten. "Now, try this on for size!" She and her clones jumped up again, this time with the scroll in her (their) hands. She ran her hands across the various characters, releasing a weapon from each one, and then tossing it towards Gaara.

"Ha!" Temari scoffed from the balcony. "That foolish little girl has no idea what she's up against." As she said this, the weapons were once again blocked by the sand barrier, and lashed down to the floor, as the fakes were eliminated. "Gaara's sand barrier is impenitrable. No one's ever even touched him."

"I don't get it," Ten Ten said as she landed back on the floor, and her clones disappeared. _I used so many weapons... Only Neji has ever been able to block or even dodge them all. How can this little kid respond so quickly?_

"Hey," Gaara interrupted her thoughts. She looked at him, finding an ill glare on his face. "I'm getting impatient. I want a challenge."

"It looks like she doesn't get it," a strange voice said from the far end of the leaf group. They all looked towards the end where Guy-Sensei stood, finding Kankuro, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. "There's no way she can win against Gaara. Especially with this little trick of hers."

"Hey!" Naruto rudely rushed up to him, getting into his face. "Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Kurama, however, took a calmer approach. "What do you mean when you say that she can't win? Is it because of the chakra eminating from within his sand?"

"That's right, Red," was Kankuro's simple answer, piquing everyone's curiosity. "You see, Gaara doesn't even need to think about the attacks that come his way. His sand just blocks them on it's own, like it has its own consciousness. And to make it even more interresting," he paused, glaring with a suspicious look, "he doesn't need to use his chakra to activate the sand barrier."

"So, what you're trying to say, is that this is mearly a fruitless battle," Kurama responded, surprising everyone there.

"Yep."

"Well, Guy," Izumi spoke up, catchin his attention, "it seems that none of your students will be making it into the final exams."

"It can't be," he said quietly, turning his attention back to the arena. "That's impossible. They're some of the strongest ninja this village has. How can all three of them lose?"

"Come on," Gaara said outloud, "show me something impressive. I came here expecting a challenge. And I won't leave without it."

"I see," Ten Ten responded. _I was hoping to save this for the finals, instead of wasting it on the preliminary rounds. But I may not have the chance._ "I guess I have no other choice." She reached behind her back, unbuckling a pocket, and pulled out two scrolls. "If you want a challenge so badly, then that's what you're gonna get."

"What the--" Izumi started. "Guy, is that the technique I think it is?"

"Yes, it is," Guy answered with a little surprise in his voice. "But I didn't think she'd be using it this early." Then, he started to grin. "Well, I guess this is gonna wrap up the match. It really doesn't matter how fast this kid's sand is, there's no way it can block _this_ attack." He turned to Kankuro on the other side of him. "This attack is so fast, your little Gaara doesn't stand a chance."

"Ya really think so?" Kankuro asked with a confident tone. He continued with a slight chuckle, "Well, okay. If you really think so, I won't burst your bubble."

"Now," Ten Ten said as she placed both scrolls on the floor on each side of her, "you're done." She took her hands from the scrolls, forming a few hand signs. "Rising Twin Dragons!" Suddenly, there was a large puff of smoke.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed from the balcony, just as surprised as Sakura, Shikamaru, and even Kurama. "What the heck is she doing?"

Then, two streams of smoke, which looked like small dragons, jumped up into the air, and started circling each other.

"Well," Kurama commented, "this is unexpected."

"Heh, just keep watching," Guy answered him.

The smoke quickly dispursed, revealing the two scrolls twirling in the air. "Now," Ten Ten said as she jumped up to the top of the spiral, "Take _this!!_" Once again, she started running her hands across the various characters on the scrolls, making her weapons appear, and then tossing them towards Gaara, almost non-stop.

"This is it," Guy thought outloud. "Ten Ten's got this one in the bag."

"Ha! Don't count on it," Kankuro responded.

"Cursed girl," Gaara thought outloud, as the weapons flew towards him a break-neck speed, only to meet a solid wall of sand, against which they all collided. "You're really starting to irritate me."

"Yeah, well I'm not done yet!" At this point, Ten Ten pulled back her hands, revealing the thin strings tied between her fingers, and all the weapons she had tossed. By pulling back, she had pulled them all back up into the air, above Gaara. "Now, try that when they come from all sides!" Ten Ten whipped out her arms again, sending the weapons flying out in an unpredictable manner towards her opponent.

"What?" Gaara said with a look of disgust as he saw all the projectiles coming towards him. "Are you serious? Is this the best you can possibly do?!" As his sand barrier caught the weapons, this time, it held them in place.

"What the--" Guy started in shock.

"It can't be!" Ten Ten yelled with equal surprise.

"No... No, no, no! You bitch!" suddenly his sand whipped the weapons back up to the ceiling towards her.

"Oh, crap!" Ten Ten barely managed to use the Substitution-no jutsu to avoid being hit by all the weapons, replacing herself with a large rock, part of the damaged arena from the previous fight.

"Oh, boy," Kankuro said. "Gaara's really mad, now."

"What?" Guy asked him. "What do you mean?"

"How dare you?" Gaara said as the sand started spiraling around him. "You dare to mock me with this pitiful display?"

"You might want to say good-bye to your student," Kankuro looked towards Guy. "'Cause there's no way he's letting her leave alive."

Guy's eyes flashed wide at this. "What the hell are you talking about?" He looked back down at the fight, trying to study Gaara.

"I have to say," Kakashi commented, "it really doesn't look good for Ten Ten right now, does it?"

"I'll make you pay for that," Gaara said in a low, growling voice. He quickly held out his hand, which the sand followed. "Sand Javelin!" Suddenly, it went flying towards Ten Ten, with a sharp end aimed right at her.

"Aaahhh!!" Ten Ten screamed out in pain as it pierced her in the belly, shooting all the way through her, and then stopping in place.

"No, Ten Ten!!" Guy yelled out for her.

"After all the things I've seen here today," Gaara started, "You give me this." He quickly forced the sand back out of Ten Ten's stomach, revealing a large, very bloody hole. "I've seen air manipulation, raw chakra use," he continued with increasing aggitation, "dragons, regeneration, stone-like skin, alchemy..." He paused, then shouting, "And the best you can offer me is a bunch of _blades?!_" He raised up both hands in front of him, with the sand following once again. "I'm going to end this right now!" Very quickly, it began wrapping around her.

"Oh, no!" Shino said from the opposite end on the balcony, as he jumped forward and clutched the rail, catching everyone's attention. "He's going use his sand to crush her body the same way as he did with those rain ninja in the forest. He's going to kill her!"

"Not if I can help it!" Guy quickly jumped over the rail ready to defend another of his students. "Ten Ten!"

However, he wasn't quick enough. She was already in Gaara's grasp. "Sand Burial!" In a flash, the sand came in and collapsed around Ten Ten's body, leaving only her head exposed, allowing the horrific scream of pain to leave her body and echo through the building.

Guy had only gotten a few feet away from her before the attack was done. "No, Ten Ten!!"

The leaf ninja looked on silently in shock, horror, and disbelief. After a moment, Gaara released Ten Ten's body from the sand prison, letting her drop limp to the ground. "Such a pitiful excuse for an opponent," Gaara said quietly.

"Ten Ten!" Guy was quick to grab her, and hold her close. "It's alright, girl. You'll be okay." He put a finger to her neck to check for her pulse.

"Okay, nothin'," Kankuro said from the balcony, to everyone's irritation. "She's as good as gone."

"Why you--" Naruto started, as he began rushing at him, but was cut off by a loud yell.

"She still has a pulse!" Guy yelled out. Naruto stopped in mid-step, nearly falling. Kankuro looked in surprise. "And she's breathing!" Guy looked back down at her with relief. "It's faint, but it's there."

"What?" Gaara questioned from the other side. "She's still alive?"

"It can't be," Temari and Baki said simultaniously. Temari continued, "Gaara doesn't just let people live. Especially not with that attack. Something's gotta be up."

"Very well," Hayate said. "By defalt, the winner of the twelvth match is Gaara." Immediately, a stretcher came to retrieve Ten Ten's body.

"You'll take good care of her?" Guy asked as he delicately handed her over.

"Of course," the medic answered.

"I don't get it," Kankuro said from the end of the other balcony. "How can she still be alive?"

"I guess you were wrong after all, weren't ya?" Naruto gloated, apparently ignoring the fact that the leaf ninja had still lost her match.

"Yes, it is quite a mystery, isn't it?" Izumi said outloud, with a suspicious eye. "Maybe she had an unseen protector. Don't you think so, Kurama?"

He turned back around, offering only a grin. "Perhaps it was her sensei's concern that gave her the extra strength to endure."

"Right..." Kankuro responded. "Well, whatever the case," he turned to look back down at the arena, "she got lucky. That's all."

_Hmm..._ Kakashi thought to himself, as he looked at both members of the other team. _Something's fishy here._

_I don't understand_, Gaara thought to himself. _How can she still be alive? I wonder..?_ He turned his head to face the leaf ninja with flowing red hair. After a moment of thought, glaring at Kurama intently, he continued, "Not likely."

"And with the twelveth match," Hayate called out, catching their attention, "the third exam preliminaries are now finished."

"Finally!" Naruto and Shikamaru yelled out. Naruto continued, "It feels like it's been going on forever!"

"Man, if I ever have to go through something like that again," Shikamaru commented, "I think I'll just forfeit."

"Oh, no you won't," Asuma answered from behind him, much to everyone's surprise. "Because if you do, then I'll make sure you get an extra difficult mission, so you'll have to work twice as hard."

"Oh, man! I'm never gonna catch a break, am I?"

"Wow... And they say _I'm_ violent," Greed said from the other balcony, with a slight smirk. "I couldn't do something like that if I wanted to."

"Yeah, whatever," Alphonse answered him. "I'm only here for one reason," he looked out towards Kurama and Izumi with a narrowed gaze, "and one way or another, I'll get what I want."

"Heh-heh... You sound excited." Greed said with a smirk.

"Now," Hayate said outloud, "all those who won their matches, please proceed to the center of the arena, so we can continue."

"Finally!" Naruto said as he ran along the balcony, past Guy and Kankuro, to get down the steps to the floor. The rest of the ninja weren't slow to follow.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled after him. She continued, more in thought, "I guess I won't be there for the rest of the exam."

"Well, I guess that means us," Greed said almost apathetically, looking down at Hayate. Then, he looked back at his teammates, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, I just got a great idea! Let's leave the little squirt here to finish out his nap, while we continue the exam!"

"As appealing as that sounds," Al answered, "we need him." He walked back towards his short teammate, who still lie sleeping against the wall. "Hey!" He said as he kicked him lightly in the leg, stirring his slumber. "Come on, the third exam is over, and we have to be down on the floor to continue."

"(_Whaah_...) Alright," Hiei answered, wiping the sleep from his eyes. After only a few seconds, he was on his feet, with his large sword securely strapped around his back. "Well," he looked down towards the arena where everyone else was gathering, "let's go." With that, Greed, Hiei, and Alphonse all jumped over the rail at once.

Eventually, all the remaining contestants were standing in a row in front of the exam officials.

* * *

"The preliminaries have finished," Kabuto said, kneeling. He and one other were outside, on a roofed walkway, beside one of the buildings. "They're moving on to the final rounds."

The other person, who was leaning on a beam supporting the roof, answered. "While all these nations are rushing to expand their military might, the birds are still singing. I believe that this country of ours has been at peace for too long." It was Orochimaru, of course.

At that point, Kabuto raised back up to his feet. "Then please, let me make the move."

"I'm not sure. How much fun would it be to get rid of some old geezer like the Hokage, anyway?"

"So, that's how it is, huh?" This response caught Orochimaru's attention. He continued, with his eyes closed. "What's wrong, Orochimaru? You're not still having second thoughts about it, are you? From now on, all of the ninja villages will clash, in a long and violent struggle. And although your own team didn't make it to the finals, it's doubtful that even the Sound Village will escape that violence." He opened his eyes, offering a rather suspicious look. "And you intend to be the trigger for that violence, don't you? By using Sasuke as a bullet?"

"You have impressive intuition," he complimented Kabuto. "In fact, it's almost scary."

"Please. I don't deserve that much credit. After all, I still didn't know about your plans involving the three sound ninja that you recruited. While gathering information on Sasuke, I wanted to learn their skills, so I allowed them to attack me. And I learned quite a bit." Kabuto paused for a moment. "I don't know anything about those ice ninja, either. But apparently, it wasn't too difficult for them to beat our friends, Misumi and Yoroi. Thanks to them, I was barely able to make it inside alone. It seems you don't quite trust me, Orochimaru."

"Is it really necessary to tell you, my right-hand man, about my plans? My silence should be proof of my trust. I trusted in you to act without that knowledge." He paused for a moment, thinking about his next sentence. "And for that very reason, I'm going to leave Sasuke in your capable hands. His curse mark was sealed by Kakashi, but that is not my main concern. We must act fast, while he still holds darkness in his heart. And so I want you to abduct him."

"It's not normal for you to act so hastily, Orochimaru."

"Perhaps. But there's still something troubling me."

"Is it Naruto Uzumaki?" Kabuto questioned, followed by a short pause. "Or perhaps, it's the others."

Orochimaru chuckled lightly at the thought. "Hm-hm... While Edward and his friends maybe strong, I doubt that they will be any threat to my plans. It seems they have their own problems to worry about. Sasuke's heart burns with hatred for his older brother, Itachi, for what he did to his clan. And Sasuke won't rest until he achieves his goal of killing him. And yet, when he fought me in the Forest of Death, even though he knew he couldn't win, he came at me without any fear of death. I didn't take him for the type to needlessly throw his own life away so quickly."

"So, it _is_ Naruto."

"I believe that his encounters with the Kyuubi have changed our young Sasuke quite a bit. I want to seperate them before it's too late."

"I understand," Kabuto answered. However, he wasn't quite done. "I only have one more question."

"Really, Kabuto? Very well, what is it?"

"Was it your plan for those ice ninja to be here at the exam? Do they serve a purpose for you?"

Orochimaru closed his eyes, laughing lightly to himself. "Hm-hm-hm... My dear Kabuto. Always, the curious one." He raised his head, continuing. "You needn't worry about those shinobi. In fact," he grinned intently, "I believe that they could be used to our advantage."

"I see..." Kabuto eyed Orochimaru suspiciously.

"Oh, and Kabuto... You realize that if you have any intentions of stopping me, then this will be your only chance." This remark caught his undivided attention. "You'll have to kill Sasuke now, because if you don't, then there will be no hope for you. You're not nearly strong enough to fight me. Even if you have the courage, you're no stronger than Kakashi." There was a long, uncomfortable pause. "I'm kidding, of course. You really must learn to lighten up, Kabuto. Now, run along. Don't forget, I'm trusting you."

Kabuto simply grinned slightly, trying to hide his surprise, and disappeared.

_Hmm... That look he gave me just now. I wonder... What could be going through that brain of yours, my dear Kabuto?_

* * *

"I congratulate all those who have advanced to the third level of the Chunin Exams," Hayate started, "even though there are two people missing."

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura asked, catching his attention. They were still on the balcony, while most of the winners stood on the ground. "I want to ask you something."

"About Sasuke?" He replied. "I'm sorry, Sakura, but I don't know much about that. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though." He continued in thought, _From now on, Sasuke, it's up to you._ "Sakura," he started again, catching her attention, "I have something important to do now. Fill me in on the rest of the exam, okay?" With that, he disappeared once again.

"Oh, yeah. Okay," she replied with a sort of meloncoly.

_Here,_ the Hokage thought silently, as the remaining participants stand in a straight line, _including the absent Sasuke and Edward, we have six ninja from the Leaf Village, three from the Sand Village, and three from the Ice Village._ Then, he continued outloud, "Now, I will explain the final rounds for you all."

_It's about time,_ Naruto thought to himself.

"In the final rounds, you will each display your finest skills, and demonstrate the power and control of your disciplines. Additionally, the finals will be held one month from now."

"Huh?" Naruto questioned, confused once again. "Wait, we're not going to do it right now?"

"This is to provide a suitable preparation period."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Hiei asked.

"Well, in addition to reporting the results to the leaders of the respective shinobi nations, we also need time for distributing the necessary summons for the final selection. As well, you examinees will need time to prepare for something this important."

_This old man sure likes to beat around the bush,_ Kankuro thought. "Listen, I don't get what you're trying to say."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kurama added. "Forgive me, but you aren't quite making your point clear."

"Very well. My point is this: To know your adversaries, and prepare yourselves, you need time. Despite the fact that all of your battles up to this point have been real, as I'm sure you can all attest, they were based on the premis that you were fighting an unknown enemy. But that is no longer the case, having fought, and seen each others' techniques."

_For real,_ Shikamaru thought silently. His eyes shifted towards the various ninja. _I would have never realized these guys could do this kind of stuff._

"So, while this period will be used to notify the other shinobi lands of the results, it is also important for you genin. It is a fair chance for you all to modify your techniques, and come up with some new tricks. Because, by now, everyone's seen your techniques, making them predictable, so using them will be a sure way to lose. So train hard! And remimber to get plenty of rest."

_Okay,_ Naruto thought. _This won't be some kind of vacation. I'll have to work harder than ever!_

_Ha!_ Greed scoffed silently. _Other than that pipsqueak, and my own team, I don't think I have to worry about anyone here!_

_With my years of skills and experience, _Kurama thought silently,_ I should have no problem, aside from Hiei and his new friends._ He turned his attention to the team of ice shinobi. _But Edward's greatest asset is his Renkin-no jutsu. Damn, this could be a problem..._

* * *

Well, everyone, what do you think? I thought this would be a good place to stop for now. Once again, sorry for making you wait for so long. Hopefully, it won't happen too often. Please, review. I'm begging you.


	16. Hospital Havoc!

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Warning! Some spoilers for the end of _YYH_. Here's a little insight for those of us who aren't quite familiar with the series.

A.N. 2: I've changed the rating to M for the obvious language and violence.

XXXXX

Ch. 16 "Havoc At The Hospital; A Dangerous Combination"

"Damn, I should have known," Kakashi said silently. As he had Kabuto (or someone who looked like him) pinned against the ground, one of the ANBU Black Ops. who had been lying on the floor suddenly jumped up, heading towards the doorway. However, he was stopped, with Kakashi standing right in front of him, as if waiting. Kakashi had used the Shadow Clone-no Jutsu. Then, the first Kakashi stood up, and both started walking towards him. He was surrounded.

Suddenly, another masked agent got up, broke the window to the hospital room by tossing shuriken, and jumped out.

"No. Damnit..." Kakashi looked out the window, as the agent decended towards the ground.

He lifted his hand, and removed his mask. There, with long, silver locks, and a large pair of glasses, was Kabuto, falling towards the ground from Sasuke's hospital room.

"I can't believe I allowed him to escape." Kakashi then released his Shadow Clone, and walked towards the figure that he originally believed to be Kabuto, who lie motionless on the ground. "Just like I thought, the Shi-kon-no Jutsu. Taking control of a dead ninja's body, and even transfroming its face. He even stopped his own heart and got rid of all traces of his scent, so he could impersonate a murdered ANBU ninja, and escape. Being the adopted son of the village's chief Medical Corps specialist is definately an asset for him. If someone with his skill is working for Orochimaru, then there's only one choice for me..."

XXXXX

"Like hell! I'm not waiting for someone else to say when I can or can't do something!" Once again, Yusuke was being being his old, bull-headed. attitudinal self.

"I already told you, you can't leave until your parents or team leader come to sign your release!" One of the nurses who were chasing after him called out.

_Parents..._ There was a word that made his blood boil. He was in a strange world, with an entire society and political system that was unfamiliar to him. Besides, his mother was never any help at all. She was always laying up in bed, getting over a hangover, or at some kind of party. She was a drunk and a lush. And he had never known his real father. The closest he ever came to that was when he met his demonic ancestor, Raizen, the Mazoku. "Damnit! Just leave me alone!!" With a sudden burst of energy, he found himself heading right out the doorway, and into the street.

However, he was quickly stopped by a very strange sight, even for this village.

"Hey! Where the hell did you come from?!"

"Unh-- What?" Someone had falled from the sky, and landed easily on his feet, right in front of Yusuke. He was facing away from him when he landed, and turned to see the voice that came from behind him.

"Hey, wait a second. You're that Kabuto guy who withdrew after we all got through that forest. What are you doing here?"

"Damn," Kabuto cursed quietly. _I didn't count on this. I thought he would still be inside._ Quickly, he pulled out a small tool from his ninja case, a little blue ball. _This should do the trick._ "Sorry, Urameshi." With that, he tossed the ball to the ground, not far from Yusuke's feet.

"Hey! What the--?" The ball suddenly exploded when it hit the ground, releasing a light blue smoke. "What is this?" It quickly surrounded Yusuke, forcing him to jump back.

Using this little distraction, Kabuto had made his escape. "Now, he shouldn't be a problem."

"Hey! Where'd you go?!" Yusuke ran around the smoke stalk, trying to see what happened. He had jumped back, covering his mouth with his arm, trying not to inhale the smoke. However, he was unsuccessful, as he had already breathed some of it in, without realizing it, before he managed to cover his mouth. "What's happening?" He continued in thought, as the smoke disepated. _What's happening to me? I'm getting dizzy all of a sudden. And tired. What the hell was that stuff? Some kind of poison? No, that can't be it. There's no pain. Nerve gas?.. Damnit, what did he do to me? I... I can't..._ Almost immediately, he started to fall, unable to stay on his feet.

"I've got him," one of the nurses said quickly, catching Yusuke in time to keep him from hitting the ground.

"Good, now let's get him back inside," a doctor said, not far away. "I don't know what just happened, but it seems he won't be going anywhere for a while, now." With that, they carried him back into the hospital.

XXXXX

"Now then," the Hokage continued, "I believe it's about time we wrapped up this exam. But before we can do that, there is still one more important matter to take care of in order to advance to the final rounds."

"Come on! Aren't we finished yet?" Naruto blurted out. "How long is this gonna continue? Let's get this over with so we can finish."

"And what are we doing, exactly, drawing numbers from a hat?" Hiei asked with a clear attitude.

"Actually, yes. That's _exactly_ what we're going to do," he answered. "In a calm, orderly fashion, you are each going to take a single slip of paper from the box that Anko is holding."

"Everyone, just stay put," Anko commanded. "I'll come to you." After only a few seconds, she had made her way the left end of the line, where Alphonse stood. "Remember, just take one."

"Right," Al answered a bit apathetically, as he reached his hand into the box. Next was Greed, and on down the line. After taking their papers, each genin opened them up and looked silently.

As Anko got to the other end, and Kurama had grabbed his paper, the Hokage spoke up. "Kurama, since you are his teammate, I would like for you to draw the number for Edward as well, so that the only unassigned number will automatically go to Sasuke."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he answered, grabbing a second slip in the other hand, leaving Shikamaru the last to draw.

"Now, everyone has one," Ibiki spoke up. "From left to right, I want you each to call out the number on your piece of paper."

Alphonse was first. "Three."

Next was Greed. "Ten, here."

Then, Naruto. "Four for me."

After him, Hiei. "I got eight."

And Shino. "Six."

Followed by Kankuro. "I drew twelve."

Temari. "Seven."

Then, Gaara. "Number nine."

Next up was Kurama. "One, and number eleven for Edward."

Finally, was Shikamaru. "And I got number two."

"Then that leaves number five for Sasuke," Ibiki stated, writing everything down on the paper in his hand.

"Now," the Hokage continued, "I'm going to explain the selection for the final tournament."

"What?!" Naruto yelled out. "Are you serious?"

"Is that what the numbers were for?" Shikamaru asked, perturbed. "We were just drawing lots?"

"Ibiki, you may now reveal the results of the lot."

"Yes, sir." He then stepped forward, turning the paper in his hand where everyone could see what was written.

The results were as follows:

(1) Kurama vs. (2) Shikamaru.

(3) Alphonse vs. (4) Naruto.

(5) Sasuke vs. (6) Shino.

(7) Temari vs. (8) Hiei.

(9) Gaara vs. (10) Greed.

(11) Edward vs. (12) Kankuro.

In this setup, the winner of one match would go on to fight the winner of the next consecutive match.

_..._ Shino stared blankly, silent even in thought.

_Is this all the final rounds are, a tournament?_ Temari questioned silently.

_I don't believe this,_ Shikamaru thought. _Not only am I in the first match, but I have to fight Kurama. Man, could this _be_ any more of a drag?_

_The old man has gone insane,_ Naruto repeated in his head, simply from the fact that it had become a tournament. _Oh, well. I get to fight Alphonse, huh?_ He looked over at the blonde who paid no attention to him. _This couldn't be any better. He's gonna pay for what he did to Hinata..._ Naruto flexed his fists at his sides with this thought.

_I don't believe this_, Hiei thought silently. _We have to wait a month for this? Some stupid tournament? I suppose they couldn't have come up with something original. Even an obsticle course would do. _

_Greed... Perhaps I can finally get some enjoyment out of this,_ Gaara thought to himself.

_It seems I was right,_ Kurama continued the chain. (_Sigh_) _Yet another tournament. I'm starting to see a pattern here. First, the Dark Tournament. Then, the Demon World tournament. And now, even the chunin exams. I suppose it is simply inescapable._

_I get the kid with the sand, huh?_ Greed went on with a devilish grin. _Great, I've been itching for a good fight. Maybe this is just what I need._

_Oh, man. In the second round, I'm gonna go against Gaara,_ Kankuro thought anxiously. _Well, I suppose I could just withdraw from that match..._ He feigned a grin, trying to calm himself.

Back on the balcony, Sakura was concerned for someone else. _Sasuke has to go up against Shino? That's the guy who beat Yusuke, the one that Izumi said had so much chakra. This could be bad. And even if he wins, he'll probably have to face Hiei later. He's the one who beat Lee earlier. _Sasuke_ couldn't even beat Lee..._ She paused, wincing as a chill ran down her back. _Ohhh... I have a really bad feeling about this..._

"I have a question that I'd like to ask," Shikamaru said, raising his hand.

"Go ahead," the Hokage answered.

"If this is a tournament, then does that mean that only one person can come out on top? Only one of us will become a chunin?"

"Quite the contrary," he answered. "There will be many judges for the final rounds, including myself, the shinobi leaders, and the Kage of the shinobi nations, those who will ultimately be assigning your missions. The purpose of this exam is to test your abilities as shinobi. You will all be graded thoroughly on your skills. Even if one of you loses your first match, you could still be selected to become a chunin."

"So then," Temari spoke up, "that means that each one of us could become chunin, no matter how far we advance, right?"

"That is correct."

"Oh, well, I guess that's cool," Naruto commented.

The Hokage continued, "However the opposite is also true, and it's possible that _none_ of you will become chunin. Ultimately, it will depend on your performance, and how you are judged."

_Oh, crap!_ Naruto thought silently, with a forced grin. _It's not just a matter of making it to the end, but what everyone thinks of me._ He stopped grinning, and put on a serious face. _Fine, then! There's no way I'm gonna lose! Especially not in my first match..._

_Is this old man ever going to stop talking?_ Hiei thought, with a sour face.

"And now, with everything taken care of," the Hokage concluded, "this concludes the third step of the chunin exam. I thank you all for your patience. Now we will all adjurn until next month. Train well, and good luck."

_I wonder how these matches are gonna play out,_ Naruto thought to himself._ Sasuke's strong, I know. But will he beat Shino? That guy managed to beat Yusuke almost like it was nothing._

--

_"But what makes _him_ so special is that the level of chakra he posesses is nothing short of astounding," Izumi said. "To be honest, I believe his chakra could rival that of the Nine-Tailed Fox." _

_"Now, it's time to end this." Shino disappeared once again, and reappeared whole next to Yusuke, giving him a good, hard kick in the stomach. Yusuke flew several feet, and landed on the ground, almost helpless. "This fight is over." Shino calmly stated, placing his hands back in his jacket. _

--

_"You're one of the ones I want to fight, the most," Sasuke told Naruto, with a look of satisfaction. _

--

Naruto continued in thought. _But if he wins, maybe we can finally get the rematch we've both been looking forward to in the finals._ He looked back towards two of the other contestants._ And I wonder what'll happen in the fifth match. That browless freak is strong, and it doesn't look like he can even be touched. And then there's that other, equally weird, Greed, who just regenerates himself. There's no way of knowing which of those freaks will come out on top. I gotta ask Kakashi-Sensei for help..._

XXXXX

"So, it looks like we all got into the final rounds," Kankuro said from the back of the group, as they were walking back from the arena. "That was easier than I thought."

"Well, what did you expect?" Baki asked from his lead position. "Did you really think we'd find any real opposition?" He looked ahead, continuing. "Everything's going exactly as planned. Now, we just have to be patient."

"By the way, Temari," Kankuro asked his older sister. "When you used your fan in the first match, why didn't you finish your attack? You just hit him over the head, and it was over."

"Hah, he wasn't any real challenge for me. I mean, come on! I gave him the full length of three moons to do something interresting, and he just kept trying to blow air at me. He just wasn't worth the effort of the attack." She paused for a moment. "Now, Hiei... That's a match I look forward to..."

"Baki," Gaara spoke up from behind him, catching everyone's attention. "I had better be getting something out of this as well. I understand that you're following my father's orders, and I am meant as no more than a tool to you, but I agreed to do this only because I thought I could finally find an interresting opponent." He stopped, pausing and looking up at Baki, making him sweat in anticipation, as well as Kankuro and Temari. "You had better hope that one of my opponents can satisfy me." And with that, Gaara resumed walking, taking the lead, ahead of Baki.

_Sometimes, I worry about that kid..._

XXXXX

"So, Kurama," Sakura asked, "are you going to see Edward?" Kurama and Sakura were walking to the hospital at a leisurely pace. He had noticed that she was following him after they left the building where the third exam was held, and asked if she wanted to join him as they walked. She accepted.

He responded to her question with a slight chuckle. "Yes, he's one of the ones I'm going to check on."

"One of the ones?" She thought for a moment. "Oh, that's right. Yusuke lost his fight. You're going to see him, too, aren't you? Do you think he's alright?"

Kurama looked forward, seeing the hospital come into view. "I'm sure Yusuke is fine. I doubt that he has sustained more than a few scratches." He turned to face the young girl again. "And I suppose you're going to see Sasuke, aren't you?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Naruto left in such a hurry, I wonder if he went to see him, too?"

Another minute or two passed as they walked silently, until Kurama spoke up again. "By the way, Sakura, I didn't bring up the subject earlier, but I noticed that you cut your hair."

"Oh, yeah," she answered quietly, looking down at the ground. "Those sound ninja gave us some trouble in the forest. I'd rather not go into it too much."

"I see. Well, to be honest," Kurama caught her attention, "I believe the look suits you."

"You-- you really think so?" She blushed slightly. "Unh!!" Suddenly, she winced, grabbing her hip, where she had been cut earlier.

"Sakura, you're still injured," Kurama reacted, looking down at her. Then, he put one hand behind his head, laughing sheepishly. "I apologize. I guess I forgot about it..."

"It's alright." She looked back up at him with a feigned smile, still holding her hip where the cloth was torn. "It's no big deal, really." Then, she winced again.

"Well, I'm responsible for it," he told her seriously. "I could at least look at it for you."

"No, really! It's okay."

"Let me take a look," he said, removing her hands from the wound.

"Hey! What the heck are you doing?" She was so surprised by his sudden action, that she could only ask a question.

Kurama moved the torn cloth to the sides with his free hand, revealing a red patch of skin, with a deep scratch. "Oh, dear."

"Huh? What is it?"

"It appears I did more damage than I thought." He pulled back from her, releasing his grip on her hands. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I didn't realize I had cut you so deeply when I attacked you."

"It's okay," she tried to protest, with the pain easing to a dull throb.

"Hmm," he thought for a quick second. "I suppose I could heal your injury now."

"Really? How?" She was puzzled.

"Just stay still," he told her, sending his chakra to his hands. "This won't take long." He put both hands over the injury, allowing his chakra to mend the damaged tissues. Within seconds, her cut was almost completely healed, and the redness had faded.

"Sugoi..! That was really quick," she told him, surprised.

Kurama chuckled lightly, wiping the sweat from his head. "Yes, well, I suppose I have a lot of practice, with Yusuke and Edward always fighting with each other."

"Yeah, I know how that is," she answered. "Naruto and Sasuke just don't seem to get along at all. They're always competing, even over the dumbest things." As they continued walking, Sakura finally asked the question she had been pondering. "Hey, Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"When you cut into Edward's chest earlier, what exactly did you do?"

He simply reached into his shirt, and pulled out another seed, the same kind that he used for Ed. "This seed comes from a plant know as 'The Divine Life,' a plant that grows very sparsely on earth. It is believed that it was created as a result of spiritual hybridation. It is the eventual result of consistantly feeding a plant one's own spirit energy, or chakra."

"Wow... I had no idea," she said, stunned.

"When fed a mass of energy, a seed from this plant can contain temporary healing abilities, much greater than what I did with _your_ injury." He paused, looking up at the nearing hospital. "This was the quickest immediate remedy for Edward's extensive injuries. When fed directly into the bloodstream, the seed will quickly flow throughout the entire body, insuring that all damaged tissues and organs are soon restored."

"Incredible," she told him. "How the heck did you ever find out about all this stuff?"

"Well," he gave another sheepish grin, "let's just say I'm experienced on the subjuct."

Soon, they came up to the enterance. Izumi was waiting outside the doorway. "Kurama, I need to speak with you for a moment."

"Yes, Izumi-Sensei," he replied. Then, he turned his attention back to Sakura. "Well, Sakura, I suppose I'll see you later."

"Uh, yeah," she said a little hesitantly, with another slight blush. She quickly went to the doorway, but stopped just as quickly. She turned around, and bowed to Kurama. "Thank you, Kurama-kun." With that, she went inside.

"I suppose I should have mentioned, the kids aren't allowed to have visitors now, huh?" Izumi half-smiled.

"What?" Kurama asked with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I just heard the nurse tell Naruto that a few minutes ago." She paused, looking up at the sky like she was thinking. "And then, I think he left with Ebisu. Something about trying to outrun him, I think."

Kurama sighed. "I suppose that will be a problem."

"Kurama," Izumi looked back at him with a serious expression. "You know how risky this is now, right? If anyone finds out what you're up to, there's no telling what could happen."

"I understand, Sensei." Kurama looked at her with intention in his gaze. "But I must do this now." He looked up at one of the higher hospital rooms. "I can already feel the strain on my chakra, so I must act quickly. Besides," he turned back to her, "Edward is my friend. I can't go back on my word, now, can I?"

"I understand," Izumi concluded, with a slight smile. "Well, in we go." She headed to the doorway.

"Pardon, Sensei?" Kurama asked, puzzled. "You said that visitors weren't allowed."

"Well, except for shinobi officials. Like a teacher, for example." She smiled quickly. "I'm going to check on Edward first, then I'll probably check Yusuke out."

"I see." He followed her to the door.

Before opening the door, she bent down to whisper in his ear, "Be careful." He nodded in reply. And with that, they went inside.

XXXXX

Think you can figure out what's going on? Why not leave a review, and see if you're right?

BTW: What the hell?! Not even twenty reviews? There are at least two or three other stories with _fewer_ chapters, with over _a hundred reviews!!_ Spend a few seconds to just type out what you like, people! Come on!


	17. Medical Conundrum

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: This chapter is entirely in the hospital, and will be a lot like the last (kind of filler). Okay, so there's no action in this one. But I don't think it'll be _that_ bad, right? Guys?..

* * *

Ch. 17 "Medical Conundrum: The Healer in the Shadows"

Hiei stood on the tree tops, staring out to the distance, silently. He was once again wearing his bandana, and his arm was now rewrapped. _Too bad, Yusuke. I would have enjoyed fighting you in the exam._ He closed his eyes, and continued. _Oh, well. I suppose it will just have to wait... At least I still have Kurama to look forward to. That is, if he can survive against that pain-in-the-ass teammate of mine in the second round._ He continued to stare at the scenery. It was... calming. But he still prefered the surroundings of the Makai. "The sun will set in only a few hours. Perhaps I should get back to my team. After all, it isn't wise to leave those buffoons alone for any period of time. Who knows what kind of trouble they could be starting?" With that, he hopped off of the limb.

* * *

"I'm sorry, dear," the nurse said at the counter. "But I'm afraid you can't visit them right now. Anyone in critical condition is strictly off-limits to unauthorized visitors."

"Are you certain?" He asked, leaning against the counter with his forearms. "This is rather important."

"I'm very sorry." She offered him a quick, sorrowful look. "Those are the rules."

"I see." Kurama pulled his arms off of the counter. _Now..._ There was a quick twitch of his thumb, practically unnoticable, before lowering his arms to his sides.

"Hu--" The nurse froze momentarily. Her eyes widened, then drooped slightly.

"Now," Kurama said outloud, "there _is_ someone who I would also like to see."

"Very well," the nurse said, standing up. "This way, please." She started walking from behind the counter, towards the hallway. Kurama followed, silently.

"Asuka?" Another nurse came from the opposite direction, finding her friend escorting the teen shinobi. "What's this? Is he visiting a friend of his? It better not be any of the kids from today's exam," she warned.

"It's alright," she answered her. "His team leader approved of it," she said, smiling coyly.

"Alright," she sighed. "Just make sure it won't get anyone in trouble." She continued, walking to cover for her friend at the counter.

_That was simple,_ Kurama thought, as the nurse continued to lead the way. _Hopefully, I can get this matter out of the way quickly. The more I linger, the more likely I am to be caught. I must get to their rooms immediately, then I can find Edward._ The nurse just continued leading Kurama, silently.

* * *

(_Knock-knock!_) "You have a visitor," the nurse popped her head in, to tell the young boy.

"Very well," he answered, looking out the window. His left arm was in a sling, and his wrists were covered with bandages, since he was recovering from his tiring fight. "Please, send him in."

"Alright, sir." The nurse bowed politely, as the older gentleman thanked her, and walked in. She closed the door behind him.

"Neji?" He asked.

"That voice--" Neji's eyes shot wide open at the familiarity. He turned his head to face the man who had come into his hospital room. "Lord Hiashi!" His voice, and expression turned sour. "What are you doing here?"

"I came because I wanted to talk with you." He pulled up a chair, and sat by the side of Neji's bed. "I spoke with the Hokage, earlier."

Neji quietly huffed, with a bit of surprise, and turned his head away, looking back out the window. "Did you? Well, I hope you found your little chat enlightening."

"Neji, I can understand why you resent our clan."

"Can you, Lord Hiashi?" Neji snapped coldly, not caring about any possible consiquences. "Tell me, who have _you_ lost that was close to you?"

He continued, "I understand why you would never speak with me about this. Neji..." He paused, reaching his hand inside his shirt. "I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?" Neji's eyes widened with anticipation, and fear. He didn't know what Hiashi was planning.

"I thought, maybe, this could have waited until you were a little older," Hiashi told him as he pulled out a thick scroll. "This is for you." He sat the scroll in Neji's lap.

Neji looked at the scroll, which just lie on him, for a moment. "For... me?"

"It's a message that my brother left for you."

"A message?" Neji looked between Hiashi, and the scroll. Then, he huffed again. "Why should I believe you?"

"Please, read it, Neji," Hiashi told him. "These are his final words."

Hesitantly, Neji undid the tie on the scroll, opened it up, and began reading his father's story. About how he had lived with the curse. About how his brother, Hiashi, was to be put to death. And how, in the end, he was finally able to decide his _own_ fate.

(Watch _Naruto_, after the first match of the finals, for this part. I won't try to explain it all. It's too long.)

--

"..." Neji had paused after reading the entire script. "Father..."

"Everything he wrote there is true, Neji," Hiashi told him.

"So, father," Neji continued thinking out loud. "In the end, it was your _choice_ to die." Suddenly, he heard a harsh sound, like a chair being pushed along the floor. He looked over at Hiashi, who was now bowing on the floor.

"Neji," he told him, with his voice starting to waver, "I'm sorry, for what happened to your father... To my brother."

Neji simply stared, shocked. Lord Hiashi, the master of the Hyuga clan, was bowing to _him_, and _apologizing_, as well. After a moment, he pushed his surprise aside. "Please, Lord Hiashi," he told him, "don't bow to me."

* * *

"This is the room," the nurse said in a low breath, that only Kurama was sure to hear.

"Very well," he answered, opening the door. The nurse had made sure that no one was around. Now, she stood guard outside. Kurama closed the door behind him, walking up to the unconscious girl in her bed. She was nearly his age. "Ten Ten." He gave a light chuckle. "I told you, you should have forfeited. I apologize for what has happened to you, and that I must take back what is mine." She was now in hospital garb, not her usual clothes. So he held her sheet in place, and pulled up the hospital gown where her belly was exposed. He saw a large wad of gauze cloth covering the hole that Gaara had made, and, somewhere inside, the unnoticable seed that he had placed in it to protect her from the sand that threatened to crush her. Luckily, her internal organs had avoided damage. Barely.

"There it is." Very delicately, he placed his fingers inside to pull out the seed. "Now, perhaps I can relax again." Once it was out, he was able to look at it closely. He sighed. _It seems that the strain has destroyed this one. Even as a catylist, it could only handle so much spirit energy, before losing it's effect. That child, Gaara... His attack must have been extraordinary in order for me to have to use so much energy as a barrier, and yet, she's still lucky to be alive. After all, a tremendous amount of pressure did manage to reach her body. _Once again, he used his arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. _And until now, I have been struggling to keep a connection with it, feeding her my own spirit energy just to keep her at a stable level._

He placed the seed in his pocket, then reached for another in his shirt. "Now, this should fix things rather quickly." As he had already done earlier in the day, he held the seed for a moment, feeding it his chakra, then ground it up. "There's only one way to distribute the seed evenly to her wound," he suddenly realized. He rounded his hand over the hole, put his lips to his hand, and, very gently, blew the seed grounds into Ten Ten's wound. This method insured the even healing of the hole, while at the same time, letting as little of the seed as possible just fall to the other side, landing on a large gob of ointment. "There," he said, as he dusted his hands off on the inside of his shirt, then placed Ten Ten's bandage and gown back as they had been. "That should be all for her." Kurama then looked out the window to the hall, and, being sure that no one was coming, exited the room. The nurse simply stood silently. "Now, for the other one."

In response, the nurse turned, and started walking down the hallway, with a slight glazed look in her eyes, that people might easily overlook. It was as if she had become a living zombie. She continued leading Kurama to his next destination.

* * *

"Guh! I hate hospitals," Izumi said, walking casually down the hallway. "Why did they have to put Edward so far away? It'll take forever to find him." As she neared the corner, a familiar face, and voice, came barrelling from the other direction.

"I said get away from me!!" Yusuke slid several inches, as he tried to turn the corner, avoiding the mob after him. "Stupid frigin' doctors!" Suddenly, before even picking up his speed after the turn, he crashed into her, both of them flying several feet back. The doctors and nurses just stared in shock, at the sight in front of them. He sat up, rubbing his sore head. "Grunh... Hey why don't you watch where the hell you're go..." He stopped when he recognized her. "Izumi!" He stood up suddenly, as if nothing had happened. "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what they've been trying to do--" She cut him off, landing a hard upper cut, and making him fall right back to the ground. "Agh! What the hell was that for?"

"That was for not watching where you were going," she answered. Then she walked over, right to his side, and swiftly kicked him. He coughed in pain. The medical officials continued staring in blatent shock. "And that's for that mouth of yours." Finally, she bent down, offering her hand to him. "Now, get up."

"Alright, sorry," Yusuke said, taking her hand without hesitation. She was violent, not dishonest.

"By the way," she continued, "it's nice to see _you_, too." She looked back up at the doctors. "So, doc, how is he? Ready for check-out?"

"Uh--" The group snapped out of shock, as one jumped forward. "Uh- Yes, ma'am. He appears to be in fine condition. However, we just couldn't get him to sit quietly in his room at all since he woke up."

Yusuke retorted, "I already told you, I ain't listening to someone else tell me what's good for me."

"I see," Izumi said with a half-grin. "That's definately no surprise. He's a real pistol."

"Well, anyway," the doctor continued, "if you could come with me, you can sign his release."

"Actually," she answered, "I'm on my way to see another of my students, Edward Elric."

"I see. Well, my office is at the end of this hallway, so, when you're ready, please come to see me." With that, the med-nins bowed to her, as did she to them, and they parted.

"Man, I'm sure glad to be rid of them," Yusuke commented. "Huh?" Then, it was as if a switch was flipped in his brain. "Wait a minute! You mean Ed's here, too?!"

"Yeah," Izumi answered him. "He took one hell of a beating in his fight."

"What? He actually lost?! Who the hell to?!"

"Oh, no. He won. He beat his opponent, Neji Hyuga, but he's in bad shape. I was hoping to visit him first, so you wouldn't have to see him like this."

"Don't be stupid. I'm always there for my friends when they need me." By now, Yusuke's tone had calmed. "And what about Kurama? Is he here, too?"

"Well, yeah," she answered as she started walking again. Yusuke lowered his head in shame as he followed. "But he didn't lose, either." He looked back up at her, and 'huh'-ed inquisitively. "In fact, Kurama actually seemed to enjoy his fight against Sakura."

"Huh? Who?"

"Sakura? That's the girl in Kakashi's group. They were right beside us. Don't tell me you don't remimber?"

He thought for a second. "Oh, yeah. I got it now. You mean the girl with the pink hair?" Izumi nodded. "Huh... I guess it sucks to be her right now."

"Actually, she's up and moving just fine. In fact, she walked here with him."

"Really?" Yusuke chuckled a little. "I guess he went easy on her, didn't he? What, did he feel sorry for her, or something?"

"Oh, no," Izumi answered. "She gave him quite a run for his money. He had to use his Shadow Clones _and_ Rose Whip to beat her." Izumi then laughed at the surprised expression on her student's face. "Yeah, I was surprised, too."

After a moment, Yusuke was calm again. "So, if they're both fine, then why the heck are they both _here_?"

"Kurama had some personal matters to deal with. In fact, he's probably doing a favor for Edward right now. And Sakura most likely came to visit her teammate, Sasuke."

"Okay. Well, I assume she didn't force him to use his new technique, did she?"

"No," Izumi answered. "Luckily, he didn't have to go that far."

"Good. I have a bad feeling we're gonna need it soon, considering Hiei's with that humonculus." With that, the conversation ended.

* * *

"This is it," the nurse said quietly. Once again, she had led Kurama to his target.

"Good," he answered, walking into the darkened room and closing the door. "After this, I can easily reach Izumi and Edward, and no one will even know I've been here."

Suddenly, he heard a light voice call out. "Naruto..."

It was Hinata. She lie unconsous in her bed, wearing a hospital gown, the same as Ten Ten earlier. "Naruto," Kurama repeated, seeing the young blonde's face flash in his head. "Is she dreaming about him right now?"

"Naruto," she continued, sleepily, "I'm sorry."

Kurama walked silently to her side, finding her quietly crying in her sleep. He surveyed her face and arms, imagining what her body must look like at the moment. (No... Not like that.) "I wonder how Edward's brother could have changed so much?" He commented, seeing the cuts and bruises that she had sustained. "Edward has always said that he was the most gentle of souls. So how could he do this?"

--

_"Uh, what about... the third ninja... in that group?" Hinata asked, scared to death. "Is he anything like Greed... or Hiei?" _

_"No, of course not," Ed turned to her, changing his expression instantly to a care-free smile. "Al is nothing like that. Unless he has to fight, Al wouldn't hurt a bug." _

_"Now, since I handled your best attack, and pretty easily, too," Alphonse told her, still grinning, "it's about time to wrap things up." After that, he started spinning her around. After only two or three fast revolutions, Al twisted his stomach, tilting Hinata for her head to crash into the ground. _

_"Alphonse! What are you doing?!" Edward yelled from beside him, surprised, and afraid, over what his brother was doing. _

_Al ignored the cries from the balcony, and continued tossing around the helpless Hinata like a ragdoll. "Hey, come on," he told her, tossing and attacking her violently. "It's no fun if you're not awake to enjoy it." _

_Quickly, seeing that Hinata's body couldn't handle another blow, Kakashi, Kurenai, Izumi, and Guy all moved down to the arena, stopping Al only inches above Hinata's now limp body, his knee at her throat. "I think that's enough, don't you?" Kakashi asked. _

_"If you so much as touch Hinata again," Kurenai said with a scowl, "she won't be the only one lying like a ragdoll." _

_"It's my fault," Ed said, his head hanging down with shame, with tears starting to show on his lashes. "I told her he wasn't dangerous. If I had known..." The jonin moved away, allowing the medics to delicately move Hinata's body onto the stretcher. "Kurama?.." Ed turned to his teammate, a sorrowful look in his eyes. _

_Kurama simply nodded in response, giving Ed some relief. _

--

After a moment, Kurama then reached into his shirt, taking yet another healing seed. "In any case, her wounds should heal quickly after this." He poured his chakra into the seed once again, but this time, he didn't grind it up. "Luckily, applying this immediately to the blood is not the only method. If I were to try cutting a viable opening, I would only give myself away."

"Hello?" He heard her voice, suddenly. "Who are you?" Kurama turned to see Hinata staring at him, still half-asleep. He hadn't noticed that she was slowly opening her eyes and becoming conscious. "Where's Naruto-kun?"

Thinking quickly, he answered calmly, "I'm afraid Naruto couldn't be here, but I'm here to help. Now," he said, breaking the seed in half, "swallow this." He lifted her head up, and put one hand to her mouth. She took the seed without hesitation, easily swallowing the broken pieces. Then, Kurama gently rested her head back to where it was.

"I... I wasn't strong enough," Hinata thought outloud.

"It's alright, Hinata," he answered, trying to console her. "Naruto is very proud of you."

"Really?" She smiled slightly, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I... did okay?"

"Yes." He put one hand on her forehead, helping her relax. "Now, get some more rest." Within moments, Hinata was asleep again, now with a smile on her face. "Well," Kurama stated looking down at her smiling face, and the tears she was shedding, "I suppose that's one more act of kindness than I anticipated." He grinned slightly to himself, as he looked out the window again, and left the room. "Now," Kurama said silently, "I can catch up with Izumi, and visit Edward."

After only starting down the hallway, Kurama suddenly heard a voice behind him. "Going somewhere?"

"What?!" He quickly turned around, seeing the man who had caught him in the act.

* * *

"Good God," Yusuke whispered with horror. "How the hell could anyone manage to do this kind of damage to him?"

Izumi answered, "It was that Gentle Fist style of Neji's. Every time he landed a hit, he caused more internal damage." They both stared at an unconscious Edward, hooked up a monitor, but no major machinery. "Thank goodness he's not in intensive care."

"Why not? This sounds like some pretty major stuff," Yusuke responded with disbelief.

"Well, Kurama used his healing seed on him right after the fight."

"What?!" Yusuke's attention was immediately on his teacher. "Holy hell! I didn't know it was _that_ bad!"

"Yes. His chakra system was heavily damaged, but that couldn't be helped. His organs were bruised, his muscles were torn, and his blood supply was cut off in several places." She looked down at Ed thoughtfully, continuing. "He nearly died today, just for a chance to see his brother."

(_Knock-knock-knock!_) There was a sudden knock on the door.

Izumi walked over and opened it, finding Kakashi standing politely, with his visible eye closed, and a grinning crease in his mask. "Oh, hello, Kakashi," she greeted him almost cheerfully, as Yusuke watched them. "Why are you here?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, well, you know me. Always curious about something." He paused, looking in to see the boy. "So, how is he?"

"He's stable. In fact, the nurses told me he should be out in less than a week."

"Wow, impressive. I guess that Kurama kid really made a difference, huh?"

"Well, he _is_ our medical specialist, after all."

Kakashi then decided to change the subject. "Oh, by the way, I believe I have something of yours."

"Huh?"

Kakashi stepped to the side, revealing the red-headed kitsune of the group. "What?!" Izumi and Yusuke both yelled, as Kurama lowered his head in embarrassment, with his face nearly as red as his hair.

* * *

"Oh, no." Everything was in disarrey. A lesser quality ramen stand was in pieces, with dishes and ingredients all over the place. People stood in shock at the scene as a man with sunglasses and a fur-trimmed vest ran off with a younger man with long, blonde hair in a ponytail, and a red trenchcoat.

"Hah, that was some of the worst crap I've ever tasted," Greed said to his companion.

"It was terrible. But it was a new experience." Al looked over to him, grinning. They continued as the angry owners tried to chase them, spewing curses and threats.

"Damn, I knew I shouldn't have left those two buffoons alone. They can't be trusted for anything." Hiei lowered his head in embarrassment. "(_Sigh..._) Why me?"

* * *

Okay. So, like I said, there was no action to speak of in this one, but I tied up a few loose ends. Like what Kurama was up to. Please review me! I promise, I'll get to the good parts if you continue reading the next _few _chapters.

I will not give up...!


	18. Friend or Foe?

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: I feel I must add a personal note at this point. This story, although (of course) fictional, is supposed to follow the logic of the involved series. And I give forethought to each chapter. So, when something doesn't seem to make sense (like maybe ch. 4), don't worry. I'll probably already have an explanation prepared for later.

A.N.2: I'm sorry for not updating as regularly as I did to begin with. I made a video for anyone who is interrested. Visit my profile to reach it.

A.N.3: More tie-in, plot thickening, and filler. Sorry.

A.N.4: _FMA_ spoillers included.

--

Ch. 18 "Friend or Foe! An Unexpected Meeting!"

"Alright, then," Kakashi said to the boys and their sensei outside the hospital. The sun was setting, turning the sky red. "I'd best be on my way. See you around." With that, he started walking away from the group. When he was a good distance away, he pulled his hand out of his pocket, examining the contents. _Very interresting,_ he thought as he examined the tiny item, which looked much like a bean, with a small thorn on the side. _There is definately something unique about him._ He turned his attention back to the path in front of him, putting his hand back in his pocket. _To have such a vast arsenal of only plants, it's amazing._

Meanwhile, back with Izumi and her group...

"I can't believe I was caught," Kurama thought outloud, still stunned.

"Nice goin', genious," Yusuke antagonized him. "Think ya could've made it any easier for him? Maybe wearin' a cowbell around your neck, or something?"

"I beg your pardon?" Kurama glared at his teammate crossly. "If memory serves, I wasn't the one who served my own energy to my opponent on a platter."

"Whad'dyu just say?!"

"Also," Kurama continued, "it seems you were knocked out with a simple dose of nerve gas, by your explanation."

"Unh-- Shut up!" Yusuke yelled back quickly. "I told you, I thought he fell from the sky! So I was caught off-guard! Sue me!" To this, Izumi administered her usual punishment, a fist to the back of his head. "Yaah--! Grnnn..." He growled, his hands on the back of his head. "Damn you, Izumi-Sensei..."

"In any case, it doesn't matter. I'm usually so sensitive to the spirit energy of others," Kurama continued. "Perhaps I simply didn't notice him because I had already exhausted so much energy on my other priorities."

"Don't blame yourself, Kurama," Izumi told her student. "Kakashi's an extremely skilled shinobi, an ex-ANBU agent, in fact. He could have simply reduced his chakra to an unnoticable level. The fact that you used so much chakra earlier only made it that much more difficult to detect him."

"Plus, there's that little problem of ours," Yusuke commented.

The group fell silent for a moment, then Izumi spoke up. "Well, kids, let's go. You need a good night's rest if you're going to make it through the next month."

"Excuse me?" Yusuke questioned. "You know I'm not in the exam now, right?"

"It doesn't matter," she turned her head to look at her student. "Just because you're not taking the test, it isn't an excuse for you to slack off, not in your condition."

After a moment, Yusuke turned to his teammate, as they followed their teacher. "Hey, Kurama, was it true? What you said about Ed's brother?"

"Yes," he answered. "It was quite surprising, to say the least. And I'm sure it caused Edward a great deal of grief to watch."

"Please," Yusuke huffed. "I bet he was just being dramatic. You know him."

"It was the first time I've seen him cry, Yusuke." That caught his attention. Yusuke stopped, and looked at him with disbelief. Kurama continued, "Normally, Edward is extraordinarily stable. However, the sight of his brother acting so callously was clearly too much for him."

"He was crying?" Yusuke looked back at the hospital. "I don't believe it..."

XXXXX

"Hnn... unh-hn-uh..." Edward was tossing his head back and forth, grasping at his sheets, and moving his body around, still asleep. "Al... No, please..." He was obviously dreaming about his younger brother. Suddenly, "No, Al! Stop!!" Edward yelled as he jerked up quickly. He paused, wincing as he suddenly felt a sharp pain all over his body. After a moment, he looked around. "What the--?"

"What's going on?" A nurse suddenly burst through the door. "Wait, you're awake? Already?"

"Huh?" Ed looked at her, with a mixed look of confusion and fear. "What are you talking about?"

"You weren't supposed to wake up until some time late tomorrow, at best."

Edward thought for a moment. _What happened?_ "Oh, yeah. I was fighting Neji." Then, his eyes shot wide open as he remembered something else. "Wait, that girl! What about her? What happened to that Hyuga girl?" He yelled anxiously as he practically jumped out of the bed.

"You mean Hinata Hyuga?" Ed just nodded in anticipation. "She's just fine. She's recovering very quickly."

Edward released a deep sigh of relief. "That's good to hear." He looked out the window, seeing the dark-blue night sky. "Thanks, Kurama..."

--

(The next day...)

"Thanks, Sensei," Edward said, exiting the doors of the hospital, readjusting his shirt. "I've always hated hospitals. I guess that's one thing Yusuke and I have in common, huh?" he chuckled.

"I guess so," she answered, light-hearted. "Now what do you say we get something to eat? My treat."

"Huh?" This seemed unusually generous to Ed, and he quickly realized why. "Wait a second, Izumi-Sensei. Anytime you offer something like a free meal, there's always some sort of catch. What are you up to?"

"Nothing, nothing," she fanned her hand sheepishly. "I just thought you should have a nice day to relax before we start training again. I figured a nice meal, and some recreational time would help you unwind after the stress of the exam, and then we could do a light warm-up at the end of the day to prepair you for tomorrow."

"Sensei," Ed started, catching her attention. "No offense, but I really think I should be alone for a while. I need some time to think, you know?"

"Edward..." She looked at her student thoughtfully. "You know, I still don't understand you kids completely. Different worlds, different abilities; I'm _still_ not sure whether to believe it all or not, but assuming it's true, you aren't in the world of alchemy anymore, Ed. You have to deal with _us_, and the way _we_ do things. You can't learn many useful techniques on your own."

Ed continued, not looking his teacher in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do. There's a homunculus here, and somehow, I have to figure out how to beat him by the time I face him in the second round." He paused for a moment. "Sorry. I've gotta go now."

Izumi just watched as he eventually walked out of sight through the path in the forest. "You little idiot..."

"Damnit," Ed cursed silently walking down the path. "What am I gonna do? Not only is Greed here, but I may even have to do something about Al, too." He continued along the path, not taking his eyes off the ground in front of him until reaching the bridge of a small stream, and leaning on the railing on the side. He stared into the water that flowed continuously, and calmly, beneath him. And in the ripples, every few moments, his reflection nearly fooled him into seeing Alphonse. "I just don't get it," he clenched his fists. "What the hell am I supposed to _do?!_" He slammed his hand on the rail in anger.

"Well, whad'a ya know? It's none other than the Full Metal Pipsqeak," a familiar voice came to his ears.

He jumped on instinct in the other direction. "Greed. What are you doing here? You get impatient and decide to get rid of me before the final exam?"

"Heh," he smirked, with his hands on top of his hips, which was a normal stance for him. "You're still as jumpy as ever, kid. Only now, you're quicker to do it."

Edward just stared in silence.

XXXXX

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," Alphonse said as he opened the door.

"What for? You've already seen all of the village. What's left?" Hiei was sitting on the windowsill, staring out with one hand on his new broadsward, which lie in his lap. "Do you figure on trying to make yet another soul miserable with your insufferable presence?"

"Heh-hah, something like that," Al offered a pleased grin, placing his hand on the back of his head.

Hiei stared at him for a moment. "Fine." He turned his head to look back out the window. "Just do me a favor: if you insist on doing it, act like you don't know me. Personally, I'd prefer to have as little to do with these pitiful insects as possible."

"Well, you're just no fun, are you?" With that, Al stepped outside, closing the door behind him. As he started walking, he continued in thought, "Little party-pooper." He paused for a moment. "(_Sigh..._) Why not?" Then, he vanished, shinobi-style, heading for the woods where many leaf shinobi go to train. Jumping through the trees, he continued. "I'm feeling a little sluggish, today. Maybe a little exercise will get my blood going."

So on he went, jumping from tree to tree, with both his hands _and_ feet. Then came a short session of sparring on a few trees (it wasn't long before many of them were completely wrecked). Soon, he found himself in an open spot, a sort of field, in the middle of the woods. "(_Sigh..._) I feel a little better, now. I guess even _we_ need to do this every once in a while."

Then, out of nowhere, there came a light applauding sound, a single person clapping. "Heh-heh, bravo."

"Hn-- Who's there?!" Without hesitation, Al pulled out a handful of kunai, and hurled them in the direction he heard the voice from. After a second, he continued. "I know you're not hurt. So show yourself, or the next one won't miss."

"My, my, ever the aggressor," the stalker walked out of the shrubbery, only a few feet away from Al. He had long, black hair which covered part of his face, yellow lines beneath his eyes, and rather pale skin. Who else could possibly fit such a description? None other than Orochimaru, of course. "I must say, though, that was rather impressive. Such reflexes, and to throw not one, but three kunai over thirty meters so quickly. Of course, I would expect nothing less from the infamous Alphonse Elric."

"Well," Al lowered his guard slightly. "It's good to see I have a reputation. That sure didn't take long. What do you want, an autograph or something?"

"Hm-hm-hnn... And a comedian, as well. My, your brother has quite a fine model..."

"What?.." He scowled lowly. "Don't you ever," he suddenly rushed towards Orochimaru with kunai in-hand, "_ever_--!" slashing at his head, "even mention the two of us in the same _sentence!_" He threw a handful of shuriken towards his opponent, and the kunai in the other hand at the ground in front of him. _Last time, I wasn't even trying. But now, he's signed his death warrent._ He landed one foot on the end of the embedded kunai, forcing himself forward, and prepared a physical assault.

"Uh-uh-uh..." Orochimaru taunted, side-stepping the attack and ran up to Al, catching his punch and landing another of his own in his stomach, knocking his breath away, and then a kick sending him rolling several feet. "It doesn't matter how good you are," he narrowed his gaze, and his tone became more serious and gruff, "do not make the mistake of thinking you can match me in battle."

As Al rose back up, he thought to himself, _What the hell--?! No one has been able to hit me like that since we left. Could this be..?_

A moment passed with silence. "Well," Al said outoud, "I guess it's safe to assume you're not here to kill me. If you were, you wouldn't have stopped."

"You're right. I'm not. As a matter of fact, I have a favor to ask of you, Alphonse, or whatever title you wish to go by." He smirked with this last part.

Because of this comment, Al's expression changed to one of intrigue. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Hm-hm-hm... Dear child, I believe you will find I know many things. For instance, why you and your friends are really here." He glared at him slyly. "I even know about your past with your brother." Al listened intently as Orochimaru continued. "But, there is no need to speak of such matters. For now, I believe you would be interrested in what I have to say."

Suddenly, Alphonse seemed a bit more open. "I'm listening..."

XXXXX

"You still haven't told me what you're doing here," Edward said to the homunculus sitting beside him. The two were sitting at the Ichiraku Ramen shop. "Why are you guys here in this village?"

"We're taking the exam, just like you, kid," Greed answered, slurping on the noodles in front of him. He continued, his noodles still in his mouth, "It's as simple as that."

"Please. It's never that simple," Ed told him, pausing to sip his tea. "Even with you, Greed, only out for yourself, there's always some hidden motive behind the methods."

"Ha-ha! I see you still have that intuition of yours, kid." They continued eating silently for a few moments.

"There's something I've never been able to figure out," Ed spoke up.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Do humonculi need to eat the same as humans?"

"Not really," he answered. "A homunculus body breaks down food differently from a human's. It's more like an interest, than anything else."

Ed looked up to see the the outright confounded expressions of Teuchi and Ayame. _Oh, crap!_ Edward thought inwardly. _What the hell did I just do?!_ He forced a grin._ Okay, okay. Act smooth, Ed. Just act smooth. What do I say? What do I say?! Come on, Edward, think! As smart as you are, you've _gotta_ be able to come up with _something_ believable! _"Uh, we're... reciting a play we saw once." He saw them look at each other in an unsure manner. "Yeah, that's right. I saw it a few years ago, and now, he's been selected as the lead role. So I'm helping him learn his lines. Yeah, a-ha-ha..." He placed his hand on his head and laughed sheepishly.

"O...kay," Teuchi said hesitantly.

_Boy, that was close. _

_Good save, kid,_ Greed thought as he eyed him slyly.

After uneventfully finishing their meal, they left for a secluded spot in the woods nearby to continue their conversation. "So," Edward stopped walking, "out with it. What the hell is going on around here?"

Greed kept walking, stopping a few feet ahead of him. "I'm afraid I can't say very much. I really don't know too much about it myself. All I know is, after our fight, I came to in this world, found myself surrounded by a bunch of ninja, and before I know it, I'm a genin and I'm supposed to be in the chunin exam here."

"Yeah, I'd buy that," Edward responded with a grin of suspicion. "After all, the same thing happened to me." He then dropped his grin and continued. "But what about Al? Something's not right, I know it. What's wrong with my brother?"

"Heh-he-heh, hold it, kid. I can't tell you _too_ much. Where's the fun in that?" He looked back at the short blonde with a devilish grin. "You need to squirm a little, first, before you get to figure it out." Then he paused for a short moment, turning back ahead. "However, I will tell you this much... This is _not_ the Alphonse you remimber. I think it's only fair to let you know that. He's not the kind-hearted tin can you spent so much time with looking for that stone of yours. By the way, how'd that turn out for ya? I asked him, but every time it comes up, he acts like he's revolted by the idea of it. Besides, from the sounds of it, it seems like you were pretty much there for the whole show."

"Ah, you know. Kid finds dark secret behind his goal, evil creatures want it for themselves, good guy and bad guy are somehow related, good guy dies and comes back at the end, that whole bit." Edward waved his hand into the air and continued, "Kind of cliche, if you ask me."

Greed laughed agreeingly. "Yeah, that sounds about right. He said that stone probably brought you back. So what happened? It couldn't have just transported you?"

"No. When Al rescued me, I got my full body back, but he gave up his own life. So, I thought it was only fair to make the same wager. I transmutated myself in order to bring him back. And because of that," he paused, looking at his right arm, "I lost my arm and leg all over again. And the Gate brought me here, instead of London, where I saw Hoenheim."

"I see..." Greed said, thinking. "Well, later, Squirt." He turned again and waved his hand over his head as he walked away. "And remimber, be careful around him. He's got a killer right hook."

"Right," Ed said quietly. "Maybe it's not too late to help him..." With that, Edward was on his way to find a good location, when he heard the leaves rustle in a familiar manner. "Huh?" He turned around to see yet another familiar face.

"Hi," she greeted him with a grin. "I believe you're Edward, right?"

"Uh, yeah. You're the proctor from the second exam, if I remimber right. You're Anko?"

"Heh, nice to see I can leave an impression. Come on, the Hokage wants to see you."

"What? The old man wants to see me? What for?"

"You'll find out when we get there," she answered, waving her hand in the japanese manner for Edward to come to her. "Now, follow me, and try to keep up."

"Right," he retorted, as they disappeared, leaping through the woods once again.

XXXXX

"What?!" Al yelled out. "Are you serious?!"

"Quite serious." Orochimaru eyed his companion, almost as if daring him to object. "I believe he may hold something important, and that is why I need your help."

"How can you seriously expect me to do that?"

"What reason would you have to refuse? You hate him. And you make pain your ally so easily. So what's the problem?"

"(_Cheh--!_) You don't know him the way I do. He won't just roll over that easily! Do you really have any idea what you're asking?!"

"Yes, I do. And that is exactly _why_ I am asking _you_. You are the only one here who knows him well enough to do this."

"It still wouldn't be that easy," Al continued. "Anyway, why the hell should I even help you with this? Why should I disrupt my own plans for you?"

Orochimaru continued, still grinning, "I'll leave you to think it over. Take all the time you need. However," he paused, "you must decide by the day of the tournament..." With that, he disappeared, but his voice continued to ring through the forest. "And I hope that next time we meet, you will come to trust me enough not to hide yourself again..."

"Hey! Damnit, come back here, you bastard!" Alphonse yelled out, looking around to try and find the man. "Shit, he's gone," he grimiced. Then, quickly, he started to smirk. "Heh, so that was him. That was Orochimaru. Heh-heh..." Al started laughing outloud. "Ha-ha-ha..! This just keeps getting better and better." He stopped laughing, and continued, "I have a feeling this is going to become a _lot_ more interresting."

XXXXX

"Okay," Edward started as he followed Anko up the path to the building, "I played you're little game of chase. Now, why don't you tell me what I'm here for?"

"You'll see," she answered as she opened the doorway.

"Anko, Edward, I'm glad you made it. I've been waiting." There to greet them was none other than the Hokage himself.

"Sorry it took so long, Hokage-sama," Anko apologized. "I had to slow down so the pipsqueak could keep up with me."

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Edward was on the verge of losing his temper, as he always does when being called short, by any phrase.

"Edward!"

"Huh?" Ed was caught by the Hokage's voice. "Oh, yeah. I heard you wanted me for something."

"Yes, that's right. And it's something that only you can help with." He led the group down the hallway to another set of doors.

"Ha, really?" Ed gleamed. He was pleased that someone had finally realized he was more than some new kid with a slight attitude.

"Yes. I have a special assignment just for you."

"Really? What is it? Some sort of spying assignment? Or maybe a missing-nin mission? Am I going to retrieve a runaway, or something?.."

"Actually, what I have in mind is a little different." He opened the door to reveal a rather familiar, very large, room.

"Ha-ha... ha..." Edward's smile slowly faded as he noticed the similarities. The tiling, the balcony, the statue of a giant handsign, the piles of debris near the wall.

"As I recall," Sarutobi told him, "you have a very special ability that no one else in this village possesses. I would like for you to clean up this mess and restore the place to its former state."

"You mean that's all you want from me? To repair the floor of the battle room?"

"Don't forget the walls, as well," Sarutobi answered with a grin.

"I can't believe this..." Edward said, looking at the room with a sour grin on his face, and a defeated tone in his voice. "The top alchemist in my own home, and I'm reduced to the fixer-upper." He hung his head low in shame.

"Think of it as a D-level mission. I'll even pay you for it, myself."

"(_Sigh..._) Alright. I guess I've got no choice, huh?" With that, he stepped up to examine the room, looking at all the damage. "Okay," he said after a moment. "You guys'll have to step back. I'm gonna go ahead and even it all up."

With that, the Hokage and Anko both stepped into the hallway, with Ed standing in front of them. "Here goes." Then, he formed his handsigns, and placed his hands on the floor, making large sparks fly out in all directions of the room, not just across the floor, but the walls, ceiling, and balcony as well. The large piles of rubble and dirt shrunk as the crater that betrayed his last attack was refilled. The cracks and craters in the walls were repaired, and the scorched ring over the balcony was virtually erased. Within seconds, there was no sign of any fights anywhere within the room.

Anko whistled loudly as she saw the results of the transmutation. "Nice job, kid."

"My," the Hokage commented out loud, "that is quite impressive."

"Well," Ed laughed shyly, "if you gotta do something, you might as well do it right."

"You ain't just whistling 'Dixie,'" Anko commented.

"Yes," Sarutobi laughed. "I agree. And it is the most thoughtful work that deserves the greatest reward." He turned his head. "Anko?"

"Right," she answered. "Here you go, Ed," she stepped up and pulled a small bag out of her jacket pocket. "Here's your payment."

"But, I don't get it," Ed argued hesitantly as Anko set the bag in his hand. "This isn't an official mission."

"Well, this isn't really official pay, either," Sarutobi answered. "Just think of this as a secret mission."

"Right," he said as he looked inside the bag. He paused, a strange expression on his eyebrows, and rustled his hand through the money in the bag. He looked up at the two of them with this same expression, as if he was looking to see if the old man was serious, or even sane. Sarutobi, however, just grinned, a pleased expression on his face.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Edward said as he bowed to him, dropping his bizarre expression.

"Thank _you_, Edward. That will be all." Ed started to walk off, as Sarutobi yelled to him. "And Edward," he said, catching his attention, "good luck in the exam."

"Uhh..." he quickly thought of the exam, recalling his trouble. But he immediately snapped out of it. "Right," he answered, waving back. "Thanks!" With that, he quickly left.

"He seemed pleased," Anko commented.

"Yes. And it was only a fraction of the price it would have taken to hire a contractor and construction crew for the job. Not to mention, all the time, hassle, and paperwork we've saved." He grinned and snickered to himself. "Hm-hm-hm... Sometimes, I even surprise myself."

XXXXX

Okay, I appologize. That last part doesn't really have anything to do with the plot. That was just to complete the Hokage's thoughts after Edward's fight, and not much more. But the next chapter will be better.

Please review me! I'm serious! I can't take it!!


	19. Yusuke's Fight and Edward's Decission

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: About half of this chapter is a remake of Naruto (and Edward) meeting Jiraiya. (BTW: Since his name wasn't given until later, I won't be using it here.)

A.N. 2: The longest chapter so far!

* * *

Ch. 19 "Yusuke's Fight and Edward's Decision"

"Damn, I'm glad to get away," Yusuke said outloud, as he was walking down the dirt path with his hands folded behind his head. "Izumi's training is as bad as Genkai's, but it doesn't do crap!" He sighed silently to himself, as he put his hands in his pockets. "Maybe it's time to start over again, and do it the way I used to."

"He-heh..." A young voice rang out lightly from the direction of the woods.

"Huh?" Yusuke looked over, finding a small girl peaking out from the side of a tree. She had raven-black hair that reached down her back, and covered part of her face, so he couldn't see her eyes very well. "Hey, little girl," Yusuke started, with a smile. "What are you doing here? Where are your parents? You know, it's not safe to be out here alone."

"He-heh," she giggled again, pulling back and turning to run away.

"Hey! Wait a minute, kid! I said it's dangerous out here!" Yusuke ran in to follow the young girl. "Stupid kid..."

"Come on, come find me," a voice rang in his ears, the child's voice.

_This is weird,_ he thought to himself as he continued. _There's something strange about this little girl. But what?_ "Alright, kid," he said loudly, "I've had enough. Playtime's over!" He stopped, standing on top of a tree branch, and looked around. "Now come out so we can get you back to your parents."

"Oh, you're no fun," the young girl's voice echoed from no detectable spot. "I was hoping to have some fun with you."

"What?.." Yusuke glanced around with a suspicious feeling. _Could it be her spirit energy? Wait, that's it! It _is_ her spirit energy!_ "Alright, that's enough. I don't know who the hell you are, but you're no little kid, that's for sure! No one that little has _that_ much chakra!"

"He-heh-heh... Oh, well..." The young voice began slowly shifting to a deeper tone. "I suppose I should have expected someone like you to figure out something was up. Even _if_ you aren't as smart as your friend, Kurama. Or even Little Edward... Hm-hm-hmm..."

"Alright, damnit!" Yusuke was beginning to lose his patience at this point. "I've had enough of this little guessing game. Either you come out and show yourself," he held up his fist, "or I start blasting."

"Dear, Yusuke. So impatient." The leaves rustled as the figure started walking through them. "And I thought I might be able to draw this little game out, you know? Have a little fun." He soon emerged, showing his true identity. Of course, it could only be Orochimaru. "So, are you happy, now, Yusuke?"

He jumped down to the ground, landing about ten meters from his stalker. "How the hell do you know my name?"

"Well, now, let's just say I have my ways," was his only reply. "And I know quite a lot about you, Yusuke Urameshi. You're a member of the Leaf's sixth squad, led by the Jonin, Izumi Kizashi. In fact, you are the strongest among your group, with chakra that can potentially rival the Kyuubi."

"Ha!" Yusuke quickly scoffed. "You know, I don't know where you heard about something like that, but you're sources must have a few crossed wires. I've heard about that fox demon. And I gotta say, that might be a little much to compare me to."

"Oh, don't be so modest, my child," Orochimaru continued. "I'm quite aware of your capabilities. To wield such power is truely a rare thing. And yet, you lost so easily, to a child with a mere fraction of your strength. All because you ran out of chakra."

"Unh!.. What did you just say?" Yusuke leered at him. He didn't take this last comment lightly.

"Oh, did I hurt your feelings, boy? I know all about that pesky little 'problem' you and your friend have been having lately."

Yusuke's expression changed to one of a sort of smuggness. "Really?"

"Hmn..." Orochimaru was having fun screwing with him. "Yes. And because of that little handicap, as well as the fact that you have come to depend so greatly on your chakra, no matter how hard you try, you have no hope of defeating the likes of me."

"You really think so, you snobby bastard?" Yusuke grew increasingly irritated.

"Perhaps you would like to prove me wrong?"

"You bet your ass I will!!" Without hesitation, Yusuke jumped forward, drawing his fist to attack him.

"Too slow, child!" He immediately spun around, dodging Yusuke's punch, and landed a kick across his jaw, sending Yusuke several meters back.

"Lucky shot!" Yusuke immediately recovered on all fours, and ran back towards Orochimaru, readying another punch. "Alright, try this!" At the last moment, instead of trying to hit him again, Yusuke hooked his arm, and, with a burst of chakra, went for the ground between them. Immediately, it shattered and exploded, sending a giant cloud of dirt all around them, filled with whole debris.

"Is this really the best you can do, Yusuke? Obstructing my vision with a cloud of dirt? Don't mock me!" He spun quickly, finding Yusuke jumping for him, and kicking him away. "What the--?" Immediately, however, Yusuke dispursed in a cloud of smoke. It was a clone.

"Over here, pal!" Orochimaru turned to find Yusuke flying down at him, holding the stance for his signature attack. "Spirit Gun!" Immediately, a large burst of chakra came flying towards Orochimaru.

_I see,_ he thought as he quickly formed his own handsigns. In an instant, he was consumed by the blast, which created a large explosion.

"That oughtta shut him up," Yusuke thought outloud as he stood on a far off limb. "That shot was enough to knock out a dozen ninja, last time." He watched for a moment as the dust slowly tried to clear. Then, a surprise.

"Oh, my dear Yusuke, how phenominal!"

"What?!" Yusuke looked around to try and find him. "No way! How is he still up after that?!"

Orochimaru jumped out of the trees and was headed right for Yusuke. "Such strength, such agility! You are quite impressive, to say the least!"

"Arrgg... Damnit!" Yusuke jumped back as Orochimaru nearly landed a hit aimed for his stomach. As he descended through the trees, he caught a branch and quickly spun around it, aiming to kick his opponent. Orochimaru, who was close behind, fell straight into this maneuver, and was sent flying. Immediately, Yusuke got his footting on the limb, and jumped after Orochimaru. "You know, the funny thing about being in the air," he said as he caught his opponent's attention, "it a lot harder to dodge!" He was right over him now, and slammed both fists down on Orochimaru together, an attack that stopped Orochimaru's flight, and sent him straight into the ground. "Now, I'm gonna end this fight, you albino freak!" Yusuke jumped back down, and prepaired an even stronger attack. "Shotgun!" Yet another specialty, he shot a wide range of spirit gun blasts down to Orochimaru, creating even more of an upset in the forest.

Yusuke waited patiently at the top of a tree, trying to catch his breath, as the cloud of dirt slowly settled. Eventually, he could see again. "Alright, that should be it."

"Poor Yusuke," he suddenly heard from behind, and turned. "You're not very bright, are you? All this time, and you didn't even know that you were battling a clone." Immediately, he landed a solid punch to Yusuke's gut, sending him flying. However...

"Huh?" Once again, Yusuke disappeared, leaving a log to take the brunt of the attack.

"You're gonna pay for that crack, you bastard!" Yusuke jumped up from behind him, and charged his chakra into his fists, ready for another round. Immediately, he charged for his opponent, who fell back to the ground.

_Yes, that's it, Yusuke,_ he thought as he stayed on the defensive, while Yusuke continued to attack, trying to land hit after hit. _Continue attacking me. Show me what you are capable of!_

"You bastard! I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, you'll be using it as a hat!" He yelled as he finally landed a punch on his opponent. With this chakra-filled hit to his chest, Orochimaru lost his breath and was sent flying. "Don't think you'll get off that easy!" Yusuke suddenly jumped over, ready to intercept Orochimaru and attack again.

"Hm-hm-hnn..." Once again, that annoying chuckle came up.

"What the--?" Yusuke landed and was ready to land another punch when Orochimaru suddenly vanished. "Crap!" He jumped up, trying to use his limited tactical skills to avoid being an open target, and hid himself against a wide tree. "Where the hell'd he go?" Suddenly, two kunai landed in a tree right beside him, with paper bombs tied to the ends. Yusuke saw this and quickly jumped back, just in time to avoid the blast.

"Like I told you," Orochimaru's voice rang out, "You have no hope of defeating me, Yusuke. A fight with me means certain death. You cannot escape!"

_Damnit,_ Yusuke thought to himself as he was left crouching from the shock. _Who the hell _is_ this guy? He's fast as hell, none of my hits seem to do any good, and he can handle my biggest spirit gun blast without flinching. Have I really gotten that bad?_ Yusuke looked around. _Plus, he's got me cornered... I am so screwed._

"He-heh-heh..." Orochimaru's laugh came out of nowhere and grew steadily, becoming a loud roar. "Ha-ha-ha...!!"

"Oh, well," he said silently to himself as he rose back up to his feet. "You know," Yusuke said loudly, cutting off the laugh, "if you really knew so much about me, you would know that death threats don't do any good. Hell, I've faced death more times than I can count. What makes you any different?"

_Well, well, it appears he has no fear of death, either,_ Orochimaru thought to himself. _It seems I made the right choice, after all..._

"Now," Yusuke finally pulled out a kunai from his pocket, "what do you say you get out here where I can see you, and we continue this fight?"

"Very well, Yusuke!" Orochimaru jumped out of the tree tops, kunai in-hand, speeding towards him. "Prepare to die!"

* * *

"Alright, now. Where can I find a nice, open space?" Edward thought outloud. "I need to start now if I want to be ready by next month."

"Hey! Wait for me, Pervvy Sage!" Two figures suddenly flew by, racing past Edward.

"What... the hell..?" Ed looked to his side to see the figures racing on. "Was that, that Naruto kid?" Then he grimmiced slightly. "Did he just say 'Pervvy Sage..?'"

"Someone as strong as you just _has_ to train me!" He heard Naruto yell. "Especially after you knocked out my _other_ teacher!"

"What?!" This caught Ed's undivided attention. A sage, a strong sage. "Maybe I just caught my first big break," he thought as he started chasing the figures. "Hey! Wait up!"

After a few minutes of chasing them, he noticed their figures weren't getting any larger. "Damn. I better pick up the pace!" With that, Ed managed to force a fraction of his chakra to his legs, and began sprinting at high speed, quickly closing the gap between himself and the other two.

"Damnit, kid! I already told you, I ain't taking any pupils! Now quit following me!" The old man easily sped up, quickly outrunning the two blondes.

"Oh, no you don't, you old pervert!" Naruto yelled out. "Get back here!!" He just as easily quickened his pace, trying to catch up to the old man.

"Damnit," Ed grimmiced again. "Doesn't that kid get tired at all?" Against his own good judgement, Ed once again sped up with more chakra, and soon caught up with Naruto. "Hey, who is this guy?"

"What the-- Edward?!" Naruto looked over at him with surprise. "Where the heck did _you_ come from?!"

"I've been chasing you for about five minutes, now. All I really caught was 'sage' and 'strong,' so I decided to follow and see if it would do me any good."

"Ha, good luck. I'm having enough trouble trying to get him to teach _me_. You're on your own."

"Why's that? Why won't he agree to teach you?"

"I don't know. He says it's beneath him, or something." Naruto looked forward, focusing on the old man in front of him. "But I'll get that stupid toad sage, or whatever he calls himself, to break, one way or _another_!" Naruto jumped forward, with a hop in his step.

"Damnit, I'll never get anywhere this way," Edward thought outloud. "This ought to slow them down!" He stopped running, quickly forming his handsigns, and slammed his hands to the ground. Once again, the fortelling blue sparks shot out from his hands, across the ground, up in the direction of the persistant young child and the stubbern old sage.

"What the--?" Naruto called out as he saw the sparks zoom past him along the ground. "Wait a second. I remimber that light." He watched as it continued forward.

"Huh? What?--!" The old man barely got this out of his mouth after seeing the blue sparks, when he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a large, solid, stone wall suddenly in the middle of the path.

"Hey! Alright!" Naruto yelled as he ran up to the sage. "See, old man? I told you, you can't get away from me!"

"Ow, that really hurt..." he said outloud as he slowly pulled away from the wall, and fell on the ground.

"Now," Edward said as he walked up to the two of them, catching his breath, "what's this I hear about a sage?"

"Oh, no," he said with a swollen cheek, as he jumped back to his feet. "Not another one. I already told _this_ kid I'm not taking on any students. Now I'm telling you too, Shorty, BEAT IT!!" With that, he turned to run in the opposite direction, only to hit the wall once again. "Oww! Damnit!" He yelled as he fell on his butt and held his cheek.

"That was just wrong," Edward commented with an annoyed look on his face. "He had to have known the wall was still there." Then, he cheerfully added, "Thank you, karma! That's what you get for inslulting my height, ya jerk!"

"Ow," he said, taking his hand away from his cheek, revealing a swollen puff on his face. "AAHHH!! No!! Not my perfect face! There's no way I'll be able to attract the ladies looking like this!"

"Oh, man," Naruto groaned, "is that all you can think about? Trying to get girls?"

_Damn,_ the old man thought to himself. _I gotta find some way to get rid of these kids. There's no telling what kind of damage they could do to me while they're around._ He rubbed his cheek tenderly. _Not only for my reputation, but for my physical well-being as well..._

"So, old man, what do you say?" Edward said as he walked up beside Naruto, with a smug grin on his face. "Feel like teaching a few kids some new tricks, or what?"

"Hmm," he huffed. "Why don't you kids go bother someone else?" He quickly stood up, dusting himself off. "Trying to train a couple of _children_ would be nothing but a waste of my valuable time."

"And just what the heck did you plan on doing in the first place, Pervvy Sage? Trying to spy on more girls or something?" Naruto asked, irritated.

"So," Edward questioned, "wait a second. You want to be trained by some lecher? What the hell for?"

"He knocked out the guy that was supposed to be training me in the first place. So, one, he's even stronger and has more skills, and two, it's his responsibility!" He yelled as he turned his attention back to the old man. "Isn't that right, you old pervert? Huh?" To Naruto's surprise, and dismay, the old man had found a chance to flee in the commotion.

"See ya' later, losers!" He yelled back to them as he made off into the distance. "Yee-hee..!"

"Oh, great!" Naruto yelled in annoyance. "First, he sticks me in a basket using a giant rock, and now he runs off when I'm not lookin'! I'm gonna make you pay, old man!!" Immediately, Naruto sprinted to follow.

"Huh?" Edward simply stared for a quick moment, stunned. "Hey! Wait for me!" Even though he couldn't stand the idea of being around a lecher all the time (which was one reason he always wanted to stay away from Roy Mustang as much as possible), he couldn't pass up this opportunity. If he could simply convince the old man to train him (and Naruto, too, maybe), maybe he wouldn't have to struggle through his training alone. _This may be my best shot at facing Greed and getting rid of him for good,_ he thought to himself. _Then, I can focus on Al..._

* * *

"(_Sigh..._) He sighed as he smoked from his pipe and stared into the sky, daydreaming. "Oh, what I'd give for just a little while with a... young, pretty girl." He continued staring lazily, with a grin steadily growing larger across his face as he imagined all the beautiful young girls his mind could invent, as well as the different... "favors" they could do for him. "Hee-hee-hee..." He laughed quietly with exitement. Then, he looked over as he heard a strange noise. "Huh?" He saw several shuriken speeding towards him. "Yea-yah-yahh...!" He scrambled to duck behind the giant log that he was laying against.

"Don't bother hiding, you lousy old coot!" Naruto yelled as he and Edward ran up to the log where the sage had hidden. "Wha-- I don't believe it!" Naruto yelled. There, where the old man was supposed to be, was a giant animal doll. "He used a Substitution-no Jutsu! Oh, he's good..."

"At least we know he'd make a decent teacher," Edward commented to him. "He must be around here somewhere. You go that way, and I'll search over here." He pointed in two different directions.

"Got it." With that, the two blondes split up to find the sage.

After they were gone, the giant doll disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing one extremely relieved sage. "Oh, boy. That was close. Ha! You gotta get up pretty early to out-fox me. Good thing those kids aren't that bright."

"Really? Ya think so, huh?"

"Huh?" He turned around quickly, finding Naruto poking his head out from behind the tree on the ground. However it wasn't his voice. It was Edward, who happened to be hanging upside-down from the lowest branch of the tree beside them. "Not so bright, you say?"

Then, Naruto spoke up. "Well, I think we're doing a pretty good job, right now. Don't you?"

The old man just stared for a moment, then sighed in defeat. _These kids are more trouble than I thought._

* * *

(Later...)

"What? Really?! You mean you're really gonna train us?!" Naruto yelled out in excitement.

"A sage _always_ keeps his word," he answered. "I promised you kids that if you could get me a pretty girl, I'd agree to train you both." _Even if it _was_ just a Transformation-no Jutsu._ At the same time the sage had this thought, Edward immediately turned as red as a tomato, as he remimbered Naruto's Sexy-no Jutsu. "Besides," the old man continued, "it's obvious you kids aren't going to give me a moment's peace until I do. Now, why don't you go ahead and show me that technique you were practicing earlier?"

"Oh, right." Naruto quickly headed out to the stream in front of them. "Here goes." He formed the handsign to focus his chakra, and started walking out on the water.

"Whoa..." Edward stared, astonished. "That's amazing."

"Whoa-wha-waa!" Immediately, however, Naruto lost his control and fell into the stream.

As he walked back up on the bank of the stream, and started complaining while taking off his clothes, Edward couldn't contain his curiosity. "What the hell was that?"

"What? Oh, what I'm trying to do? Ebisu-Sensei was teaching me to walk on water. He said it's basicly the same as walking up a tree, but since the water never stays still, you have to move your chakra with it, or something."

"That's right," the old man answered. "Because of the continuous current of the water, you must learn to readjust your chakra to match that current. It's really very simple, once you understand and get the hang of it."

"Really? Huh, that sounds like it could really come in handy sometimes." Edward was imagining finally being able to go out in deep water again, and not having to worry about drowning. He also momentarily recalled his fight with Psirin. _That would have really come in handy back then. And the time Izumi found us and stranded us on that island. Or even..._

"Hey," the old man called to Naruto. "Come over here and build your chakra again."

"Can't I at least take a minute to dry off?" Naruto complained.

"Now," he insisted.

"(_Sigh..._) Fine." He did it once more.

The old man watched as Naruto built up his chakra, and the chakra seal appeared on his stomach. _I see... so, this is the seal the Fourth Hokage used to imprison the fox._

"Whoa... What the hell?" Edward stared in shock as he saw the mark appear. "Okay, this is really getting weird."

Then, the outer-most seal appeared. The one that Naruto had gotten only recently. The sage continued in thought, _What? An odd-numbered seal on top of an even-numbered one? This is obviously the work of someone else, a crude job by someone who didn't know what they were doing. I'll bet it was Orochimaru, that snake._ He stood up, and readied his chakra in his fingertips. _No wonder this kid is having trouble controling his chakra._ "Alright, kid. Now raise your arms up over your head."

"Huh? You mean like this?"

"Yeah. Now, hold still." Suddenly, he rammed his hand into Naruto's stomach, knocking his breath away. "Five-Pronged Seal Release!"

"Hey! What the hell was _that_ for?" Edward yelled while Naruto, who was now on his back, tried to recover.

"Oh, that was nothing. Just hitting a few pressure points to loosen up his chakra." Then, he turned his attention back to Naruto. "Now, kid, try it again."

Once Naruto had caught his breath, and expressed his anger to the old man, he walked out to the stream again, built his chakra, and started walking out again. "Huh?" This time, however, Naruto kept his footing with ease. "Hey, this is awesome! I don't know what you did, Pervvy Sage, but it sure worked!" Naruto hopped around on the water in excitement.

"Now, kid," the sage turned his attention back to Edward. "You wanna give it a try?"

"Yeah, I guess." Ed stood up and undid the clip on his overshirt. "Oh, by the way, try not to overreact when you see my body," he told him a bit sheepishly.

"Huh? What are you talkin' about, kid?"

"Well..." Edward slid his shirt off of his arms, revealing his auto mail.

"AAHHH! Holy crap! What the hell happened to your arm?!"

"It's a replacement," Edward told him solomnly. "A friend made it for me after an accident, several years ago. My leg's the same way." After that little outburst, Ed took off his undershirt, as well as his boots and pants, stripping to his undershorts. "Well, here goes nothing." Edward walked to the side of the stream, and formed the handsign to build his chakra, concentrating it to the bottom of his feet, the way he had been taught by Izumi. _The flow of chakra should match the current in the water... Constant, yet never the same..._ Carefully, he stepped forward, placing his right foot on the water. He slowly shifted his weight to it. _So far so good._ Then, he hesitantly placed his left foot on the water, waiting to see what happened. "... Whoa." Surprised at his own skills, Edward was standing on the water, with both feet.

"What the-- Hey!" Naruto yelled out. "What's going on here?! How the hell did you get it right on your first try?!"

"I don't know," Edward answered as he moved around, trying to get used to this new skill. "I never really figured it out completely. Even though the chakra points are inside the body, I can transfer mine to my auto mail. I perform jutsus, I can walk on water." He looked up and laughed sheepishly. "I don't get it, really. Ha-ha..." Immediately, though, he lost his concentration, and quickly sank into the water, with Naruto and the old man laughing vehemently. "Ha-ha, very funny," he commented sarcastically with a sour look on his face. (It was a shallow stream.)

* * *

The sound of metal clashing could be heard ringing through the forest. It had gone on for several minutes. "Damnit, I'm really getting tired of you!" Yusuke said as he pulled out yet another kunai and threw it at Orochimaru, who blocked the attack with his own kunai. "What does it take to keep you down?!"

"I already told you, Yusuke! It is impossible for you to win!" Immediately, he sped forward in front of the ex-detective, almost in a flash, and threw a punch for his stomach.

However, Yusuke caught it and jumped over Orochimaru's arm, and threw a kick at his head, which was blocked by his free arm. Without hesitation, Yusuke threw his other foot, for a straight kick in Orochimaru's face, which made contact. As he flew back from the attack, Yusuke reached into his shinobi pack, pulling out several shuriken, and tossed a double-handful towards Orochimaru. "Ha! Gotcha!" Yusuke yelled out as they impaled his body. However, a puff of smoke revealed a large log flying through the air, covered in shuriken. "Crap!"

"You really think you're the only one with the Substitution-no Jutsu?" Orochimaru asked from behind him. Yusuke immediately turned to throw another punch, but it was caught in midair. "I grow weary of this battle," he said with a grimmace. "I thought you might be able to provide me with a challenge. But it appears I was wrong!" He yelled, "So you are simply as dispensable as the rest of them!" With that, he pulled out a kunai, and jammed it into the side of the detective's neck. "Good bye, Yusuke Urameshi," he said as he released his grip on the boy's wrist.

Yusuke paused, with a sick expression on his face, and stumbled backwards with the kunai still in place, and his own blood running down his body. After a few seconds, he fell to his knees, and then down on his chest.

Orochimaru watched with anger as Yusuke fell. However, a second later, Yusuke disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What?! No, it can't be!" There, lying on the ground, was the bloody kunai, and nothing more.

"Inferno-Rain-no Jutsu!" Orochimaru looked up, finding a maelstrom of fireballs flying towards him. "If you knew anything about me and my group, old man, you would know that Kurama isn't the only one with some skill!"

_He's alive?!_ Orochimaru's mind flashed through the events that had just occured. _So, it seems he must have used the Shadow-Clone-no Jutsu when I wasn't looking. And now, he still has more than enough chakra for multiple Phoenix-Flower-no Jutsus. Yes!_ He didn't even bother trying to use a jutsu to avoid the fire coming his way, as it all hit the ground at once.

"That has to work," Yusuke said tiredly as he landed on a tree limb. He had begun breathing and sweating heavily, a sign that he wouldn't last much longer. "I swear that guy's worse than Sensui." He looked out on the burning ground, with a few trees caught in the attack, as well. "Damn. It's gonna be a real problem if this fire spreads. A water jutsu would really be useful right about now."

Yusuke was shocked when he heard the horrid laughing again. "Heh-heh-heh...! Ha-ha-ha!!" He looked out in the middle of the burning field, to find a figure rising up seemlessly from the ground. "HA-HA-HA...!! Yes, Yusuke! This is it! This is the power I came here for! You have proven yourself a true shinobi!" He looked upward, to stare Yusuke in the eyes. "And now," he said as he formed his own hand signs, "I'm afraid I must bring this fight to an end!" With that, Orochimaru vanished, quickly reappearing behind Yusuke.

"What the--!" Before Yusuke could even react, Orochimaru had already attacked, sinking his teeth deep into the back of Yusuke's neck. "Aagghh--!" His eyes shot open with the pain that surged in his neck, and was struck paralized. _What... the.. hell... is he doing? I... I can't feel my body. No. What's going on? What is he?!_

Orochimaru slowly pulled away, letting his teeth drip with Yusuke's blood. Then, as he licked his lips, savouring the blood, he placed one hand on the left side of Yusuke's neck, beneath his chin. "And now, Yusuke, you are all mine. This is my gift to you, my curse mark. With it, you will no longer be burdened by the loss of your chakra, your strength. And soon, you will crave more, and decide to seek me out. Once you come to me," he paused, bringing his mouth closer to Yusuke's right ear, "_and you _will_ come to me_," he pulled away, releasing Yusuke from his grasp, and continued, "your power will grow beyond imagining, and you might just be able to shatter the shackles that have bound you to this world. He-heh-heh..." He suddenly disappeared, but his laugh still echoed throughout the forest, growing to a roar.

Yusuke was left to simply carry the pain, and stumble, falling from the tree.

* * *

"_AAHHH...!!_" A piercing yell came from the forest, quickly catching a passing Anko's attention.

"What the hell was that?!" She turned to the woods, and pulled out a kunai. "That scream can only mean something horrible. Could it be..." She continued thinking as she lept into the forest. "No, please, anything, _anyone_ but him. He's already taken enough victoms during this exam." She ran as quickly as she could, quickly finding where the scream had come from. "What the hell happened here?" She looked around at the flames that were spreading through the woods, the charred ground that had been attacked. "Who would do this?!"

"Aaghh!!" She turned around as she heard a yell behind her. She saw Yusuke as he twitched, leaning against the trunk of a tree and slowly trying to stand up. "That... bas..tard..." He had his left hand gripping the right side of his neck. As he moved to stand again, he felt another wave of pain. "Aaaghh!!" He immediately fell to the ground.

"You!" She ran over to meet the boy. "Let me see..." She gently removed his hand, revealing a black mark on his neck. Where Sasuke had been given three dots, which were similar to the Sharingan Eye, Yusuke's mark was three triangles, connecting in a loop. "No... Damnit! It _is_ him. I can't believe it. Now, he's taken _two_ of our genin. Orochimaru..."

_Oro...chimaru?_ Yusuke could barely think because of the pain. _That... THAT was Orochimaru? No... I... I can't..._ Before even completing this thought, another shock ran through his body, causing him to lose control of himself. He screamed as he vomited what little was in his body, and drew more tense, before finally passing out.

Anko winced. "He's our main priority." She quickly put one arm over her neck, and lifted Yusuke up. "I'll have to send someone to take care of this fire as soon as possible." With that, she vanished, with Yusuke in her arms.

Elsewhere, Orochimaru was thinking during his escape.

--

_"While Edward and his friends maybe strong, I doubt that they will be any threat to my plans." _

_"Ha!" Yusuke quickly scoffed. "You know, I don't know where you heard about something like that, but you're sources must have a few crossed wires. I've heard about that fox demon. And I gotta say, that might be a little much to compare me to." _

_"Well, it's now or never!" Yusuke proceeded to absorb his energy straight into his arm. "Spirit Wave!!" He dumped all the energy he had left into his shot. _

_Al continued. "Anyway, why the hell should I even help you with this? Why should I disrupt my own plans for you?" _

_Orochimaru continued, still grinning, "I'll leave you to think it over. Take all the time you need. However," he paused, "you must decide by the day of the tournament..." _

--

"The pawns are set," he thought outloud. "Now, all that remains, is for the match to begin. Ha-ha-ha..." He laughed with grave intent as he continued making his way through the woods...

* * *

Before you even get it out of your mouth, no, I'm not just making Yusuke into another Sasuke. I have much different plans for him.

Only one more chapter before the final exams begin! Aren't you happy? I even included another fight scene to hold you over until then. And, sorry for making it so long. It was necessary for later, though. Plus, there was one part I've just been dying to put in for months.

And please, _everyone_, leave a review for me. Let me know if you like it.


	20. Uneasy Winds

*Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: More filler, but again, also necessary. Don't I suck...?

A.N. 2: A little more FMA and YYH spoiler. (From this point on, you should just assume any chapter might have spoilers.)

A.N. 3: Sorry for making you good people wait. Enjoy!

XXXXX

Ch. 20 "Uneasy Winds"

Footsteps could be heard running down the hallway of the hospital. "Do you think he's alright?"

"Doubtful, considering this was not part of the exam. I find it difficult to believe that he could be defeated and hospitalized twice within the span of a week."

Within a few moments, they had found the room they were looking for, a fact betrayed by the ANBU Black-Ops standing guard at the door. "I'm this boy's sensei. We need to see him immediately." With that, the guards allowed them through, to see the incapacitated child, as the Hokage had instructed them when he was admitted. They were immediately beside the boy's bed. He was hooked to several moniters, keeping a constant check on his vital signs. "Yusuke, you little dumbass."

"It has been some time since I've seen Yusuke in this condition," Kurama said to the sight before him. "And yet, never once have I seen him admitted to a hospital. It would seem that the loss of our chakra has taken a greater toll than I previously realized."

"That's what I've tried to tell you kids before," Izumi answered. "That's why I've been training you all. There are dangers here that you aren't used to. This is proof of that fact." Izumi paused for a second, staring at her incapacitated pupil. "I only wish Yusuke didn't have to learn that the hard way."

"Yes," Kurama thought outloud. "This does not bode well for us. Between Hiei, Edward's brother, and the homunculus, Greed, if something were to happen, I would fear for the worst without Yusuke." The conversation ended there, the sound of the beeping machines and monitors echoing loudly in the room.

XXXXX

"I don't believe this," Edward murmered to himself. He stood in the middle of an empty space of field next to the woods. A few feet away from him was, of course, Naruto. And further, still, was the perverted sage, Jiraiya, who just _happened_ to be doing a little "research" for his next book. Ed continued, "I go through all that trouble to try and train with a sage, because I believe I might actually get something of use, and now he's spending all his time oggling girls. All I've learned so far is walking on water." _Although that might actually come in handy sometime._ He drooped his head in defeat. "I would have done as well if I had just gone on my way." Then, he turned to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto. Any luck with that Summoning-no Jutsu?"

Naruto looked up with twitching eyes, a sign that things might not be going the way he had hoped. "I don't know. You tell me," he answered with a slight guttural tone, a tadpole flopping around at his feet. "Every time I try, no matter how much chakra I use, I still get a stupid tadpole, instead of a frog." He hung his head in depression. "This really sucks."

"Well," Ed responded, "Looks like you've got a problem. In the meantime, I've got work to do."

"By the way," Naruto continued, "I noticed something during the exams."

"Yeah?" Ed answered with a little anticipation.

"You and your brother don't act anything alike, as far as I can tell," he said. "That bastard nearly killed Hinata, and he never even batted her so much as a second glance when the fight was over."

"... Yeah, I know," Ed answered again, solomnly. "I didn't know about him then. I thought he was still the same as when we were together before. Something's wrong with him."

"But she also decided to fight him in the first place because you told her she would be safe." Naruto paused for a moment. "I don't know you, and I sure as hell don't trust you. For all I know, you're exactly the same as him."

"You think I don't know that Hinata's injuries were my fault?!" Ed snapped back, taking Naruto by surprise. "I know that Al isn't the only one responsible for her getting hurt. I am, too." He closed his eyes, thinking back. "It seems like I have kind of a history for that sort of thing." He started thinking of the many things that had happened in his life. "This time," he thought outloud, clinching his fists, "I'm going to fix my mistake, before it gets out of control..." He turned back to start practicing his new technique again.

"Well," Naruto answered him, "Good luck with that. Meanwhile, I'll be getting stronger, too, so don't get too confident." The two young blondes stared for a moment.

"Boys, boys!" Jiraiya whispered loudly to the two of them. "Keep it down. You're gonna scare off the _ladies..._" He turned his attention back to the girls in the spring, looking through his binoculars from the bushes, and whispering quietly. "Oh, yes... That's right, girls. No need to be shy... Hee-hee-hee..."

"Alright, one more time..." Once again, Naruto formed the hand signs for his summoning and slammed his hand on the ground. "Summoning-no Jutsu!" His summoning circle appeared on the ground, and a puff of smoke jumped up, quickly revealing yet another tadpole. "Aaarrggg! Damnit! Why the hell can't I get this jutsu right?!"

"Shh-zhehh-zhh..!" Jiraiya tried once again to keep the noise down behind him.

"What was that?!" A woman's voice could be heard from the spring on the other side of the bushes where Jiraiya was hiding, catching his attention.

"It sounded like a boy!" Another girl answered.

"Aahhh! Peeping tom!" Suddenly, there was an uproar, and all of the girls started to jump out of the spring, grabbing all of their belongings and trying to cover themselves, even though they still had on their bikinis.

"Aahh! No! Ladies, please come back!" Jiraiya pleaded over the bushes. After all of the girls were (quickly) gone, Jiraiya thought outloud, "I don't believe it... All of those pretty girls, gone... Just like that..."

Edward couldn't help laughing at the sage's misfortune, while Naruto paid no attention and cursed the tadpole at his feet.

XXXXX

There was a knock on the door. "You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" Genma asked, opening the door.

"Yes," he answered, taking a puff from his pipe. "Please, come sit down." Genma made his way to the chair in front of the Hokage's desk. "Now that everyone is here, I have something important I would like to speak with you all about," he said as he stood up. In front of the desk, sat Genma, Anko, Ibiki, and the squad leaders of the Leaf participants. "As you are all aware, it has been just over a week since the completion of the third round of the exams, the testing level over which Hayate was proctor. However," he paused, "as most of you know, Hayate is no longer with us. And the fact that his assassination occured in our own village can only mean that someone is transpiring against us. But, this is not the only problem."

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.

"When the third exam ended, I immediately sent notification to the surrounding nations about the outcome, and all participants' current status in the exam. However, we have not yet recieved any response from the Land of Wind, or the Land of Sound."

"What do you think it means?" Kurenai asked. "Could they be up to something?"

"There _are_ some who don't believe the peace treaties are in the country's best interests," Kakashi answered.

"Maybe someone's trying to cause some trouble," Izumi spoke up.

"Perhaps," Sarutobi answered. "But that's not the only problem. You see," he continued after taking another puff from his pipe, "We may not have recieved word from either the Wind or Sound nations, but I'm not that surprised about the latter. What concerns me is the response we _did_ get from the Hidden Ice Village from the Water Nation. You see," he paused, "the official letter carrier we sent to that particular village never arrived. He was never seen after being sent on his way." Everyone was taken back in surprise. "I had a suspicious feeling from the start, so I sent an undercover agent on a cover task not long afterwards, while at the same time carrying the notification. And according to the response we recieved, the three participants who claim to come from that village are nowhere in their records. It seems that technically, according to the Mizukage himself, these three genin do not exist."

"You can't be serious!" Guy popped up out of his seat without realizing it.

"That's absured!" Kurenai responded simultaniously. "Those genin fought our students, and nearly killed them. How can you stand there and say that they don't exist?!"

"And Lee is still in intensive care because of one of those little creeps," Guy retorted. "Someone like that doesn't just come out of nowhere. There has to be some kind of information on them!"

"The Village Hidden in the Ice searched all of their records, and never found anyone matching those three genin. This is not a matter we can afford to take lightly."

"So what _are_ we going to do?" Kakashi asked.

"For now, there isn't much we _can_ do." He looked out the window to the forest, finding the chared spot that had come so recently. "On top of all of this troublesome nonsense, Orochimaru has popped his head up and stuck his nose into our affairs. He has already attacked two of our genin, leaving them with his curse mark, as well as killing at least one other group from the Land of Rain, if not many more people. And he will not allow us to cancel the exams under any circumstances."

"I see," Genma answered.

"For now, there is only one option. The exams will proceed as scheduled, and will not be interrupted in any way unless I give the order." He paused, turning to sit back at his desk. "And I believe it would be particularly wise to keep an eye on those three, the genin from the sand, and even our three newcomers."

"What?!" Izumi yelled out as she stood up. "What do you mean by this, Hokage-sama? You _must_ be joking! Those children are _nothing_, if not trustworthy!"

"I understand your feelings, Izumi. However, your students admit to sharing their pasts with those suspicious genin, even to the point as allies and friends. One is even a blood-relative. And we still do not know how or why they arrived, or from where, exactly."

Izumi just stood, a begrudging expression on her face.

"I know this is a difficult pill to swollow, but we must consider the possibility that your students are involved in whatever plan Orochimaru has concocted. Especially since Yusuke has been infected, as well."

After a moment, everyone reluctantly agreed.

"Very well. Genma, since you will be proctor over the tournament, I want you to watch the matches very carefully. If anyone acts with lethal intentions, you are to stop the match immediately, by whatever means necessary." Genma nodded in acknowledgement. "I also want ANBU Black-Ops stationed all around the arena of the final matches. Between Orochimaru, the current trouble in communication between the lands, and the participants who are being less than truthful with us, we must keep a careful eye. I don't trust some of these students, and I intend for us all to be ready for anything..."

XXXXX

"You stupid son of a bitch!" Greed was thrown back against the wall. On the way, he crashed into the table, splitting it into several pieces. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! By talking to that bastard, you've ruined our entire mission!" Alphonse didn't seem very happy. Hiei just sat on the couch, listening from the sidelines.

"What are you talking about? I didn't give him any kind of information," Greed answered, quickly getting up to his feet. "For all he knows, we're just another group of genin from one of the Hidden Villages."

"Shut the hell up!" Al landed a hard upper cut to Greed's jaw, knocking him off the ground and over the counter. "You knew our job from the beginning. Now, it's gonna be even harder than we expected."

"He-he-heh..." Greed chuckled on the floor. "You're one to talk, Mister 'Secret-Meeting.' Talking to that Orochimaru guy behind our backs." Al fliched at this comeback. "That's right, I know a little something, too. I seen him around. I knew if you guys met, you'd either try to kill each other, or come up with your own plan. And since there ain't been an announcement, that can only mean you're up to something."

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you?!" Al jumped towards Greed, putting his hands together.

"Too slow!" Greed raised a leg, ramming his foot straight into Al's stomach. Immediately, his right arm transmuted, and he raised his clawed hand, grabbing Al's face and tossing him to the ground beside him. "Don't forget, you're not the only one that's gained a little something recently."

"I'm gonna kill you!" Al kicked him up, getting himself off the ground, and got ready to attack again.

"That's enough!" The two of them were stopped suddenly, with Hiei between the two. He had his right hand on Al's shirt, and his sword against Greed's neck. "This petty little argument of yours is starting to irritate me. What's done is done, and cannot be changed!" Before they knew it, Hiei raised his foot, and kicked Al back several feet. "This will be your only warning, Alphonse Elric. Don't make me remind you where my title comes from..." He balled his right fist at this statement.

"You've got real guts, talking to me like that," Al answered.

"Heh," Greed went on. "Serves ya right."

"And you," Hiei turned his attention to him, bringing his sword closer to his neck. "I don't care if you _were_ selected as the team leader. Remimber, the strongest one always has the real control. Got that?"

"... Yeah, I got it," Greed answered with an indignant look on his face as he closed his eyes in defeat.

"Good." Hiei pulled his sword back, much to Greed's relief. "Our objective is still the same. However, due to the circumstances, it seems we'll have to change our strategy."

"But what are we gonna do?" Al asked.

"Hm-hm-hmm..." Hiei laughed lightly to himself. "You forget, I'm a telepath. And I happen to know things will be quite favorable for us, come the day of the tournament."

"Alright. Good enough for me," Al said with a grin and a little excitement. "Ed always went on about alchemists fixing mistakes." He lifted his right hand, looking as if to recollect upon it. Then, it started to spark, a sign of alchemical charge. "Let's see him fix this one..."

XXXXX

"No!" Kurama yelled as he checked yet another shop. "Not here either." He started running yet again, his steps catching the attention of passersby. _That's the 13th place I've checked. There's no sign of him at all. He's escaped the hospital room. He's not at the house. No one has seen him at the usual shops, food stands, or social establishments. He's disappeared without a trace!_ "Damnit, Yusuke. Where did you go?"

--

_Yusuke was sitting up in his hospital bed, Kurama standing at the side. The two of them were alone in the room, the ANBU standing guard outside the door. "I don't get it," Yusuke told him. "This has to be the first time I've lost to a guy that was compeletely human. I mean, sure, Sensui was human, but he used to be a spirit detective, too. This guy, though..." _

_"I sympathize with your confusion, Yusuke," Kurama answered. _

_"Did we really lose _that_ much energy coming here?" He asked, gripping the sheets. "I just don't get it! I beat Toguro at his max, and I held my own against Sensui. I trained my ass off with Raizen, and I was even on par with the strongest guys in the Makai! Then, all of a sudden, along comes some kid with a few bugs, and an old man with teeth like a snake! How the hell could I lose two fights in a row?!" He suddenly slammed his hand against the wall, creating a large crack in the finishing. _

_To this, an ANBU immediately opened the door and ran in. "What happened?" _

_"... It was nothing," Yusuke answered, trying to conceil his grimmice. "Nothing..." _

_"It's fine," Kurama told the guard. "There is no need to worry. Please, continue to wait outside until we are done." _

_He paused for a moment, and walked back out. _

_Kurama continued, "Yusuke, I believe you may be jumping to conclusions a bit too hastily. After all, it _was_ Orochimaru you were fighting. And before that, Shino's insects had completely drained your spirit energy." _

_"No, Kurama. You don't get it. Ever since that... _thing_ we saw, that dragged our asses out of the Makai... From the moment we woke up in this world, I could tell that a huge chunk of my spirit energy was missing. At best, it feels about like when we first entered the Dark Tournament. And that was only that once." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Wait a second... I just realized something. That thing that brought us here... I've felt that energy before, somewhere." _

_"Doubtful, Yusuke," Kurama answered simply. "I have known you since your very first assignment, and we have never encountered such an energy before." _

_"You're right, but I know I recognize it from somewhere." He sat, thinking. "The shackles that bind me to this world..." _

_"What's that, Yusuke?" _

_"Nothing," he answered. _

--

After about another five minutes, he was back at the entrance of the hospital, where he met his sensei.

"Any luck, Kurama?"

"No, sensei," He answered, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. "I've checked every location I can think of. No one in town has seen him. It's as if he's disappeared without a trace. The only possibility left is that he's escaped into the woods."

"Damn that little idiot," Izumi cursed under her breath. "Why'd he have to just run off like that? And Kakashi only came to seal his mark yesterday, too. His condition is still far too serious to take these kinds of risks."

"True, but that has never stopped him before."

"Fine. I'll keep searching. You stay here and rest. You've earned a break." With that, Izumi left to continue searching for her student.

"(_Sigh..._) I suppose a rest would be the best thing for me right now. We've been searching nonstop for nearly an hour, since we discovered Yusuke's disappearance." He turned to walk into the hospital.

"Hey, Kurama!" A familiar voice yelled from the side.

"Huh?" He looked over. "Edward?"

Edward was running up, with something in his hands. "Wait up!" After a moment, he was next to Kurama, catching his breath. "I haven't heard from you guys in a while. What's been going on?"

"Mu--?" Kurama paused. _That's right. Edward hasn't been around since the preliminary fights. He must not know about Yusuke's fight with Orochimaru, or his disappearance, for that matter. Best keep it that way._ "Oh, well, you know. Nothing out of the ordinary," he feigned laughing.

"Really? I guess everything's going fine without me, huh? Hey, where's Teacher? And Yusuke? I wanted to say 'hi' to them, too, before I went back to my training."

"What? Your training?" Kurama questioned, puzzled.

"Yeah. That Naruto kid and I met some sage passing through a few days ago, and we just kept pestering him until he broke down and agreed to train us," He laughed towards the end. "(_Sigh..._) But he's only showed us one technique, so far. He's just spent the rest of the time watching girls."

"Really?" Kurama eyed with a slightly suspicious expression. "'You don't say..."

"Hey, hey!" Ed waved his hands defensively. "It's not like _I'm_ in on it, too. I've been really busy, honest."

"Wait," Kurama stopped, noticing once again what was in Ed's hand. It was a flower, a daffodil. "Were you planning on visiting someone right now?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I've been thinking... I wanted to come see Hinata and wish her a quick recovery." He looked up to his teammate with a grin. "But then, you already fixed that, didn't'cha? With those little tricks of yours..?"

"Yes, Edward," Kurama played to Edward's teasing. "You needn't worry about her. She'll be just fine. However, I could accompany you to see her, if you like. I have nothing else to do at the moment." The thought of Yusuke gone missing once again entered his thoughts.

"Okay," Ed agreed. The two entered the building, and approached the attendent at the desk. "Excuse me. I'm here to see Hinata Hyuga."

"Huh? Hyuga?" The girl asked. "I'm sorry young man, but I'm afraid that young lady has already checked out. You just missed her by a few minutes."

"What? Are you serious?!" Ed yelled out before he realized it. "Tell me, do you have any idea where she went?"

"I believe she told her father when they left that she wanted to walk alone for a little bit, and watch the water?"

"Crap!" Ed immediately left, running out the doors, with Kurama following. "I can't believe this. Story of my life! I'm always a minute too late!"

"Edward, why are you so intent on finding her?" Kurama asked from beside him as they lept into the woods.

"Every time something bad has happened, I've been part of the cause. My brother losing his body, my mother, the girl, Rose, I told you about, Maes Hughes. Every time, it was something that I had the power to keep from happening, but I didn't!" Edward stopped in his tracks, standing on a small bridge over another stream. "Every time someone gets involved with me, they just get hurt! When I was twelve, as soon as I became a national alchemist, my best friend was kidnapped by a mad man. She was almost killed, and I couldn't even protect her! In the end, it was Alphonse who protected _both_ of us." Ed clenched his fists, tears forming at his eyes once again. "Just once... I want to be able to make it up to someone... To make things better for people, instead of making them worse."

"Edward?" A different voice came from the opposite side. Ed looked to see where the familiar voice had come from. "Who are you talking about?" It was Hinata, once again dressed normally, walking up to him, hesitantly. "Make what up to who?"

"Hinata..." Edward looked at her with tears in his eyes again. He walked up to her slowly, and held out the flower with both hands. "I'm sorry. I've been really busy lately, but I wanted to give this to you, and say that I had hoped you'd heal quickly..."

Hinata just stood, blushing, surprised at this kind of gesture. "For... For me?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry. It was my fault for what happened to you. I should have known better. If Al is with Greed, there's no way he could be like I remimber!" Before he knew it, he was starting to cry again. He turned away from her, his emotion evident in his voice. "I chose a daffodil, because I wanted to start over." He wiped away the tears on his lashes. _Damnit!_ _Why do I keep getting so emotional?.._

"Edward..." She said gently, catching his undevided attention. He looked back to see her slowly approach him. "Thank you," she said, beet red, head down, and hands locked in front of her.

He just stared for a moment, surprised. "...Sure. Oh, here," he reached out, offering her the flower once again.

"Thank yo--" She reached out for it, but discovered the odd color of Ed's right wrist, and froze.

"Hinata?" Ed asked her.

"Your arm," she commented. "What happened to your arm?"

"Huh? Oh, right," he answered. "You weren't there. Right after your fight, I fought Neji."

"What? You... You fought Neji? You mean he did this to you?!"

"No, no! This was from a long time ago!" Ed was on defense once again. "A lot of details came out in my fight. You've never known much about me, but I lost my arm..." He lifted up his left leg, too. "And my leg, in an accident several years ago. I got a friend of mine to make something called automail for me, artificial limbs that you can move like original body parts. It was painful, and took a while to adjust, but I can move like there's nothing wrong with me at all," he smiled.

"I see," Hinata responded after a moment. "Thank you, again," she said with a bow as she finally took the flower. "I guess you won't finish the exams, either?"

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I be going to the final rounds of the exam? You really think I would let that scatterbrained punk beat me?" Edward boasted.

"You... beat Neji?" Hinata was astonished. "You beat his Byakugan _and _his Sixty-Four Palms attack?"

"Yeah. Like I said, it was tough, but I've handled worse," Ed laughed a little. Hinata soon joined in, the two laughing together. Kurama just watched contently from the side, wondering what would come of the next month.

XXXXX

"Welcome, contestants, to the final rounds of the Chunin Exams!" Genma announced loudly. "Stand with your heads held high, as you have progressed farther than any of your piers!"

In front of him stood most of the contestants of this final competition. Kurama, Edward, Shikamaru, Naruto, Shino, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Hiei, Alphonse, and Greed. The only one missing was Sasuke.

"So," Sarutobi said quietly to himself, "the final round of the exams has come at last. I trust you are up to this task, Kazekage-sama?" He turned his attention to the man sitting at his left.

"Of course," he answered. "You don't honestly believe I couldn't handle something as simple as judging a contest, do you?"

"Heh," the Hokage smirked. "It's a shame that the Mizukage had to leave so suddenly. There's no telling how much of this tournament he's going to miss."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll return soon enough," the Kazekage answered him. "He only said he'd be gone for a few minutes."

"Yes, well, it's still a shame he would miss something as important as this." He turned his attention to the passageway where the Mizukage had exited.

Meanwhile, back on the ground...

_Huh... Sasuke's not here yet,_ Edward thought silently. _I wonder what's up. Well, at least I managed to get Naruto and me here in time. Barely..._

_Finally, the last step of the exams,_ Naruto thought. _I'm gonna make Alphonse pay..._

_This is gonna be fun,_ Greed continued.

_Finally, I'm going to have a real fight..._ Gaara thought to himself.

_I hope we can get this over with soon,_ Shikamaru continued silently.

_Yusuke_, Kurama thought as if trying to speak telepathically, _Wherever you are right now, should something happen, I hope you will make it in time..._

_That's right, Kurama_, Hiei answered to himself silently with a confident smirk. _Call for that clown Urameshi's help all you want. I don't think he'll be answering any time soon..._

_My brother..._ Alphonse stared straight ahead with a grin, keeping his eyes on Genma. _This is it... It will all be over soon..._

XXXXX

And now, the tournament begins. Sorry for the delay. But I don't have nearly as much time to myself, now, as I used to. So updating might be widely intervaled, for the most part, but at least I'm still writing it. And I've got an entire series plot worked out, too... (_Sob..._) Oh, well.

And please continue to review, preferably more than four of you. I know there are more people reading than that.

P.S. A little lapse in the timeline in this chapter. But this was the best set-up I could think of.


	21. A Disadvantageous Situation

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Author's Note: Ino still has her long hair for now. Just trying to avoid confusion for later.

A.N. 2: Sorry for the long wait. I haven't had internet access since July! And still none from home right now. And I've been too busy to write recently. Thank you all for your patience! Enjoy!

* * *

Ch. 21 "A Disadvantageous Situation"

"I just can't believe it," Sakura said quietly, sitting in the front row in the stands. "Today's the last day of the chunin exams." She looked down solumnly at her hands in her lap. "And I'm not down there with Naruto or Sasuke. I don't even know where Sasuke is..."

"Come on, Sakura. Cheer up!" Ino answered, forcing a smile of her own. "It's not like you're the only one not becoming a chunin. I mean look at our team. Shikamaru is the only member of our group down there." She leaned over, trying to console her friend. "Besides, it's not like this is the only chance we'll ever have. We won't stay genin forever."

"Alright, girls. Chatty-time is over," a boy's voice came from the other side of Sakura. It was Choji, once again muching on another bag of potato chips. "The first match is about to start."

"Choji!" Ino snapped, since she couldn't reach him. "You keep your mouth shut! You don't know crap about how to deal with girls!"

Back on the ground...

"Alright," Genma announced, catching the majority of the crowd's attention. The contestants listened tentatively. "It's time for the first match. Kurama Minamino and Shikamaru Nara, you two are to stay here to begin. Everyone else," he pointed to a door far behind them, "please make your way through that doorway and continue to the balcony upstairs. From there, you'll be able to watch the matches for yourselves. And once one battle is over, the contestants of the next one will be called to make their way back down here. Understood?"

Everyone answered a collective 'yes,' and began making their way. However, aside from Kurama and Shikamaru, three stood paused in a tense moment of silence.

As Alphonse stepped to turn, he found two glares pointed in his direction. One, a clear look of termoil and mixed emotions, including confusion, sorrow, and even fear, showing beneath his headband. "Brother," Al began with a smug smile, "you look almost like you're afraid of me. I thought you'd be happy for the chance to see me again."

"You know, it's funny. I always wondered what it would be like when I finally found you again." He lowered his head and continued. "But I never imagined you would be like this."

"Well, you know what they say. 'Expect the unexpected.'" Then, he turned his attention to the other glare he was recieving. Unlike Edward, this was a look of anger, and determination. He chuckled, "Naruto Uzumaki. What's wrong? Are you angry at me because I hurt your girlfriend?"

"Huh--!" Naruto withdrew, surprised. A blush ran immediately ran across his face. "What the heck are you talking about? She's not my girlfriend!"

"... Girlfriend?" Hinata sat in the now silent crowd, only able to hang on this one word. She whispered to herself, "Naruto-kun's... girlfriend?"

"Hinata?" Ino turned around to face the blushing girl behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Relax, runt," Alphonse told him with a chuckle, reaching out a finger to the boy's headband on his forehead to poke him. "You'll have your shot at me soon enough." This brought Naruto's anger to a full boil.

"Alphonse!" All three of them turned to the doorway. Hiei stood calling out to his teammate. "Let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah," Al responded. He turned back to the other two blondes. "Well, that's my cue." With that, he turned and started running to the doorway, where Hiei had already disappeared.

"So that's your brother, huh?" Naruto asked Edward.

"... Yeah. I guess so." Edward stared solumnly as his brother continued getting closer to the doorway.

"Edward," Kurama said from behind him, quickly catching his attention. "I believe it would be wise if you rejoined the rest of the group."

"Oh, crap! You're right!" Edward immediately turned to run, grabbing Naruto by the collar of his jumpsuit. "Come on!" As he made his way to the doorway, with Naruto following, he watched as Al walked through the shadow. "There's something I've gotta find out." He started through the opening, and was met with a disturbing surprise. "Al, listen! I--" He paused for a second. "What the..?" Hiei and Alphonse had both disappeared. "No, damnit! Where is he? Al! Where the hell did you go?!" He looked around, trying to find some sort of hidden door, or anything that might explain Al suddenly vanishing. "He was just here! What happened?!"

"Maybe they just went on ahead," Naruto commented as he started forward.

"What? Hey, wait for me!" Ed called after him, waiting to see if he would run into Alphonse again.

"And now," Genma announced with the last two contestants standing ready for their match, "Kurama Minamino vs. Shikamaru Nara. If you two are ready, then let the match begin!"

"Man... That was almost sad," Shakamaru commented, still looking at the doorway.

"Yes. Edward has not seen his brother in nearly a year's time," Kurama answered, "and by no means did he expect to find him as he is now."

"Actually, I meant him just spacing out like that. Usually, Naruto's the one you expect to do that kind of stuff."

Kurama chuckled lightly. "Perhaps. Of course, as I'm sure you can attest, he has his moments, as well."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Shikamaru said with an obvious smirk. _Come on, just a little more._

"However," Kurama immediately drew two kunai from his pocket, and jumped back, slinging them past each side of Shikamaru's head, making him lose his concentration. "It seems the spotlight is on us for now. And in the light, deception is rather difficult."

"D-deception?" He tried to feign innocence with a grin. "What do you mean?"

"I am afraid you will not be able to defeat me using such meger tactics. You were attempting to gather a large amount of chakra, and then use it all in one jutsu in an attempt to capture me before I could defend myself. Perhaps other shinobi might fall prey to this ruse," he reached behind, pulling out a few shuriken in his left hand, "but you will have no such luck against me." Immediately, he tossed the shuriken at Shikamaru.

"Crap!" He jumped, narrowly avoiding the weapons, and landed a few feet to his side. "What gave me away?"

"By paying special attention to your chakra, I noticed that the pressure was steadily building. You likely believed I simply would not sense this, as you had been doing it slowly since we arrived, before the match even began."

"Oh, man. What a drag," Shikamaru formed his handsign for the Shadow Possession-no Jutsu. "I wanted to do this quick, and be done with it. But now I actually have to work for it." With that, his shadow began expanding, attempting to stretch out to Kurama.

"Yes, well, that is the point, is it not?" Kurama jumped back once more, as the shadow tried to make its way towards him, stopping only inches from that spot, and withdrawing. _Now is my chance!_ Immediately, he grabbed behind his head, pulling his rose out from his hair. "Rose Whip!" He swung it in a whip-like motion over his head, allowing it to form a safe distance from his own body. "Now," he said to himself as he swung his signature whip towards Shikamaru.

"No!" He jumped away, letting the whip tear into the soft ground beneath him.

"Unbelievable," someone in the crowd commented.

"That's one hell of a jutsu," another said.

"WHOOA!!" Choji yelled in a fit as he saw this for the first time. He even popped his new bag of chips, spilling half of it at his feet. "Ahh! No!"

"I know I've already see it," Sakura said from her seat, "but I still can't believe he has a move like that. It's just amazing."

"Yeah, it's something, alright," Ino answered. "I still couldn't believe it when he used it against you. I guess there are all kinds of jutsus out there. I just never imagined that someone could actually use a plant as a weapon." She grinned as a thought occurred. "Maybe he could help out at my mom's flower shop. He seems pretty well-suited for it."

_This is bad_, Shikamaru thought to himself, as he jumped to avoid another attack. _This is why I wanted to use the shadow posession and end it quickly. With that whip, he has a range of about five meters he can attack freely and immediately in any direction. But my range is limited, even while extending my shadow._ "Aahh!" He yelled as Kurama landed one attack on the top of Shikamaru's shoulder, making his evasion more difficult. _Great. Now, on top of the trouble I've got already, I'm starting out the match with a bleeding injury. This is one hell of a drag..._ He jumped once more, this time, forming a few hand signs. "Cloning-no Jutsu!" Suddenly, several Shikamarus came back down to the ground, circling the kitsune.

"So, clones?" Kurama commented. "You are attempting to be best me in a game of chance? Sorry," he drew back to attack again, "but that won't work!" He swung, attacking three clones at once, with seperate portions of the whip. "You see, my Rose Whip allows me to attack multiple targets simultaniously with a simple turn of the wrist."

"Really?" One Shikamaru stepped up. "Well, let's see if you can handle this!" Each clone jumped up at the same time, tossing a kunai at Kurama. "Try finding the real one!"

_All the kunai are centered in a circular pattern. This should be simple._ Kurama immediately tossed his whip up, spinning it to counter each kunai. He had intended to search each cloud of smoke to find the real kunai, and therefore, the real Shikamaru. However, before even completing his motion, he saw several clones pull out a handfull of shuriken, tossing them in a second wave without pause, and even reaching back with the first hand for a third wave. _No! There are too many now, and there's no time to search for the real kunai here. I've no choice!_ Immediately, Kurama jumped high into the air, above the clones, dodging the second wave as it hit the ground and disappeared. _These clones will only cause additional hinderance._ And with that, he swung his whip once more, eliminating the surprised clones nearly simultaniously. "What?" It turned out the surprise was his. Each one that circled him had turned out to be clones. The real Shikamaru wasn't there. Kurama landed a few feet to the left. "So, you disappeared, leaving behind only your clones," he thought outloud. "Admittedly, an impressive maneuver. Combining clones with a high-speed attack to halt my offense. Most would not consider such a simple solution to that problem. Huh?" Immediately, he saw a shadow jump out from a bush only a few feet away. He then jumped back to his other side, twice, to be certain he could avoid the shadow. _I must continue avoiding his shadow for as long as possible. I still need a little more time._ "That was rather clever, as well," he said to the bush. "You created the clones, while simultaniously hiding yourself in part of the battleground. Impressive tactics, I must admit." He narrowed his gaze, prepairing to use his special ability once again. "However, it seems you have already forgotten my specialty."

_What?!_ Shikamaru thought in shock, from where he was kneeling in the bush.

* * *

_"He just uses his chakra, as you guys call it, to transform his rose into a weapon," Edward told them. "He can actually use almost any kind of plant to his advantage." _

_"So, in places with lots of plants, he has a bigger advantage?" Shikamaru asked Ed out of curiosity. _

_"Hm? Yeah, I guess so." _

* * *

_Crap!_ He immediately felt vines pulling tight at his ankles. _I can't believe I forgot about that! I was so busy worrying about that stupid whip, I forgot Edward said he could take advantage of any kind of plant._ He then felt another, larger vine pulling harder at one of his wrists. "Ahh!" He immediately pulled out a kunai, and cut at it, then jumped out of the bush, tearing off part of the vine at his feet.

"You battle admirably," Kurama told him, "but it seems luck does not favor you at the moment." He lowered his free arm, and raised the whip back up to chest level. "Forfeit is the most expedient and least painful choice for you in this situation."

_What am I gonna do?_ Shikamaru asked himself silently, standing so close to the wall, the sun behind him. _He's not dumb enough to get caught in any shadows here, he made quick work of my clones, he can attack me easily out in the open with that whip, and he can even control the plants, so hiding would be useless if I give away my position. This is bad..._

* * *

"Alright, we finally made it," Kankuro said as he stepped into the sunbathed balcony ahead of everyone else. "I wonder how the match is going?" He stepped up to the rail, followed by the bulk of the other finalists, to find Kurama dodging yet another shadow that Shikamaru had launched his way. "Whew! That was a close one, huh? That kid's either real smart, or real lucky."

"Looks like that Shikamaru is up against the wall," Temari retorted. "Literally. He better do something to put that red-head in his place, or he's gonna get creamed by that whip."

"I wonder why he isn't hiding if he's in that much trouble?" Kankuro asked.

"It wouldn't do any good because that other kid could just use the plants to attack him," Greed answered from behind them.

"Huh?" Kankuro asked. "He'd attack him with the plants? What do you mean?"

"He can use his chakra to control all sorts of plant life, and make it do just about anything he wants."

"And just how do you know that?" Temari asked.

Greed paused for a second. "Let's just say he's not exactly a complete stranger."

"Greed!" An all-to-familiar voice rang out from the passage onto the balcony. Everyone turned to find Edward making a mad dash onto the balcony, followed desperately by Naruto. "Where is he?"

"What the heck are you talking about, Pipsqueak?" Greed asked with a straight face.

"You know good and damn well what! Where the hell did my brother go?!" Edward grabbed at the collar of Greed's shirt with his left hand.

"Well, well. You're awfully tempermental today."

"Damnit, you bastard. You better tell me where Alphonse went or I'm gonna--"

"You're gonna what?" Greed cut him off. "Hit me? Come on, Pipsqueak. We both know that won't do you any good." He then grabbed Ed's wrist, making him wince in pain. "I don't know what he's up to, and personally, I don't care. If he decided not to join the rest of us, that's his problem." He tightened his grip, making Ed release his, and kicked him, flat-footed, back against the wall, where he fell to his rear. "Now, be a good kid and stay still. I'm sure he'll make it on time." Greed turned back to face the arena. "He's not one to miss out on a good fight when he gets a chance."

Edward just gave a disgusted look to the humonculus as he rose back to his feet, his arm over his stomach.

Then Naruto spoke up. "Alright, so Al's definately gonna be here. But where's that other guy? You know, the short one?"

"Don't you dare say 'short!'" Ed snapped at him, making many of the others snicker at him.

"Same thing," Greed answered. "Their business is their own. Hiei will be back soon."

"Are you talking about me?" Everyone turned to the doorway, surprised, finding the short apperition who had appeared out of nowhere. None of them had felt his chakra as he arrived.

"Wha... Huh?" Naruto pointed and stared at the demon with clear surprise. "But you..." He started motioning aimlessly with his hands. "We were... And then you... How the heck did we ever pass you up here?!"

Hiei just grinned nonchalontly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I never saw you on my way here."

As Naruto kept making an ass of himself trying to argue with Hiei, Edward just watched, thinking to himself. _We had to have passed him at some point, but we never saw him on our way up. It's like he and Al disappeared together. Something's not right, here..._

Up in a different balcony, however, a new arrival reappeared. "Hello, Hokage-sama, Kazekage-sama. I appologize for the sudden departure." The Mizukage bowed to his Fire Nation counterpart.

"Ah, Mizukage-sama. I'm happy to see you are back." Sarutobi stood and bowed in return. "It's a good thing you didn't take too long. The first match is still in progress."

"Oh, very good," he answered, both sitting back in their respective chairs, he on the other side of the Hokage, opposite the Kazekage. "Has anything extraordinary happened until now?"

"Not really. So far, Shikamaru has tried to use his jutsu to trap Kurama. And Kurama has used his own Kekkei Genkai, which allows him to take command of plant life, and even manipulate their physical structures, such as the whip he is currently using."

"Really?" The Mizukage asked, intrigued.

"Both competitors seem to be concentrating on their own strategies, using the surroundings to their own advantage. A sure sign that they prefer a tactical standpoint in combat."

"I would say this has been an interresting display so far, Mizukaga-sama," the Kazekage said to him, glancing from the corner of his eye. "It's good that you're here to witness the end of it..."

"Yes, I certainly look forward to it," he answered, returning the look...

* * *

"Yah!" Shikamaru yelled from the air as he threw yet another kunai, which Kurama easily swiped away with his Rose Whip, also aiming for his opponent. However, when the whip hit Shikamaru, he disappeared in a cloud, leaving behind a log. The Substitution-no Jutsu.

"This strategy is quickly becoming stale, Shikamaru," Kurama said as the whip come to a rest at his feet. "I am losing my patience." He reached back, into his pouch, pulling out a few kunai, and swung them into the collective bushes around the tree.

_This is bad,_ Shikamaru thought from the spot where he was hiding up in the tree, out of Kurama's view, as well as many spectators. _I've got to do something fast. I'm expending way too much chakra on all those clones, but I can't get near him without getting hit by that whip. At the same time, though, every second I spend around these plants is just as dangerous, since he could easily attack once he finds out where I am._ He watched as Kurama held out one hand to the bushes. _What's he gonna..._ He paused, waiting to see what his opponent was up to. Immediately, he heard a loud rustling sound from the bush right next to him. He saw the limbs thrash around violently, attempting to capture whoever might be hiding within. After a moment, though, it stopped, and Kurama lowered his hand. Shimamaru continued nervously, _Oh, man! If he did that with that little bush, I hate to think what he could do with this tree. Come on, think..._ He closed his eyes, and put his hands together, calming himself, so he could map out his next strategy. _You can figure a way out of this, Shikamaru..._

"What the... Asuma, is that some kind of handsign?" Kurenai asked the teacher. They were some of the few who knew where he was.

"Nope," he answered, not taking his eyes off his student. "This is something completely unique to him. He does this when he needs to come up with a strategy if he's in a tight spot. It's like a trigger in his mind. He'll find some way to pull a win out of this."

_It seems Shikamaru has a slight advantage at the moment,_ Kurama thought to himself, standing still in the middle of the field, looking around at the possible hiding spots. _Because Yusuke and I have both lost a large portion of our spirit energy, I must conserve mine for later, where I'm certain I will need it, so I cannot spare any additional spirit energy invoking all of the plants to attack. And because I don't know where he might be hiding, I would only be wasting it each time I make the wrong decision. Also, there is still the threat of his Shadow Posession. Were I to attack him now, it's possible he could capture the shadow of the whip, just as he did in the third exam, and take hold of me through that link. I must avoid that scenario if at all possible. Though I doubt he knows the advantage of his position at the moment, I'm certain he is using his time wisely, gathering strength and composure, so he can begin another attack._ Kurama tightened his grip on the whip, closing his eyes and anticipating Shikamaru's next move.

"Come on, Kurama," Edward said quietly. "Hurry up and attack. I know you can handle him..."

"What's he doing?" Izumi asked quietly from her seat, next to Kakashi, and not far from the other Jonin-sensei. "Shikamaru is practically an open target, screaming to be attacked." _Kurama, you wouldn't be trying that already, would you? _

_Well, Fox, just what are you going to do now?_ Hiei questioned silently. _You can't find your enemy, so you can't attack head on. But you still insist on saving your spirit energy for your fight with me. Like you'd even make it that far,_ Hiei grinned smugly. _He's going to get killed in the second round if he insists on continuing to use this strategy._

_Now, it simply comes down to patience, _Kurama thought. _I can feel his spirit energy,_ _though I can't find the location. Where are you, Shikamaru?.._

_Alright_, Shikamaru thought, having finally gotten an idea. _I hope this works..._ He pulled out a handful of shuriken, and prepaired to strike.

* * *

Okay, so it's not packed full of the edge-of-your-seat action. It should get better, though. This fight won't take too long. Who will win? Where did Alphonse go? Why is Yusuke not back yet? What's up with Hiei? And where did I put my chopsticks?! Wait, why am I asking you this? Who are you people?

Please do review!!


	22. The DoubleEdged Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

A.N.: Sorry. Had to tweak the end of the last chapter a little. No Kakashi yet...

_**

* * *

Ch. 22 "The Double-Edged Shadow"**_

_So, it comes down to patience,_ Kurama thought. _I can sense your spirit energy, Shikamaru. Where are you?.._

_Alright,_ Shikamaru thought to himself, as he came up with a plan. _I think I've got it._ He carefully reached into his pouch behind him. _I'll probably only have one shot at this, but he's got to have some kind of limit, even with that whip._ He began pulling out a handful of shuriken, attempting to stay silent. But he was careless, his arm hitting against one of the limbs, shaking the leaves.

"There," Kurama said quietly to himself, as he grabbed two more kunai to throw.

_Crap!_ Immediately, he jumped out, avoiding the weapons, and tossed his shuriken.

Kurama immediately tried to use the whip to block the weapons, while reaching for another kunai, but a few got past his defense, and scored a hit on his chest and right arm. "Aahh!" He yelled in pain, creating a momentary lapse in his concentration. He had even dropped his whip as he held his hands to his wounds, allowing it to regress back into a simple rose. Many of the spectator just watched in awe.

"Now's my chance," Shikamaru thought to himself as he reached behind and pulled out another kunai. "This ought to do the trick." He also had a piece of paper, and wrapped it around the handle of the kunai. He immediately attacked, sending the kunai flying.

_No!_ Kurama scrambled to collect himself. He pulled out another kunai, in an attempt to deflect the attack. He had succeeded, but instead knocked it down to his side. The paper began to burn. _A paper bomb?!_ And very quickly, it exploded less than a meter away from Kurama's feet.

"No! Kurama!" Edward, Izumi, and Sakura all yelled out simultaniously, all obviously worried about the kitsune.

"Not good," Naruto exclaimed quietly, beside Edward. "A paper bomb that close is practically lethal. (_Gulp!_)"

Slowly, the cloud of dust cleared, eventually revealing the redhead once more, blades of grass floating through the air all around him. His arms were instinctively in a defensive position. And in front of him, was a wide wall of grasses, nearly an inch thick, with a large hole nearly the size of Kurama's body blown out and cinged at the edges.

Immediately, Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "He's not hurt..." _That was way too close._

Edward sighed, as well. "Okay, that sucked. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Slowly, Kurama lowered his arms to see again. "I see I have given you far too little credit, Shikamaru. Edward has automail to dampen the impact of an explosion, but I have no such defense. Such a risk would not be worth taking twice."

"Ya know, I'd have to agree with you," Shikamaru answered from behind him, little to his surprise.

"What?" Edward continued with shock of his own. "Oh, crap!"

Kurama looked over his shoulder, finding Shikamaru only feet away, having formed the handsign for the jutsu he was so fond of. Kurama turned his attention to the ground, finding he had connected to his shadow and taken hold of it. Kurama was now at Shikamaru's mercy. "But then again, I don't think we'll need to go through all of that again. After all, I got a hold of you like I wanted from the start."

"No, Kurama..." Izumi looked helplessly.

"No, damn it," Edward cursed quietly as he watched. "What the hell happened? It was perfect. All he had to do was attack him."

"Maybe that redheaded friend of yours isn't so smart, after all," Temari replied.

"Oh, no," Sakura whispered as she realised Kurama was still in danger of losing the match.

"Yeah! Alright Shikamaru!" Ino cheered outloud right beside Sakura, tossing her fist in the air. "That's how it's done!"

"Now this fight is mine," he couldn't help smirking as he bent down to grab his kunai back out of the ground, and began twirling it around by the handle on his finger, while Kurama was forced to make the same motion. "However, I'll be nice and give you a chance to forfeit before doing any more damage." He raised up his other arm, still forcing Kurama to do the same. "After all, forfeit _is_ the most expedient and least painful choice for you in this situation. Just go ahead and admit defeat." He was taunting Kurama, feeling unbeatable at this point.

Kurama simply looked back for a second. "To my understanding, shinobi never forfeit when possibilities for triumph are still present."

"You really think you can win now that I've got you in my Shadow-Posession no Jutsu? Ahh well..." He lowered his arm. "I tried."

"It is certain nothing less can be said," Kurama retorted.

_Man, what is up with this guy?_ Shikamaru thought to himself. _He's always just so cool and collected. Even now, caught in my jutsu, he knows he can't do a thing to beat me. But he still has that look like he's got everything under control._ "Fine. If that's the way you want it..." He swung the kunai up into the air, grabbing it at the handle, and threw it straight into Kurama's direction. However, instead of a direct hit, it barely knicked the side of his neck as it passed by, making him wince from the sting. Even now, Kurama was still under the control of Shikamaru's jutsu, still mimicking all of his moves.

"Oh, come on!" Temari protested. "What the hell was that? Why is he toying with him like that? If he has that kid in his grip, he should just go ahead and finish the job, instead of screwing around with him."

"Then again," Kankuro argued, "when you can do pretty much whatever you want with your opponent, why not have a little fun?"

"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" Kurama questioned. "Having trouble focusing your aim? Or are you intentionally beating around the bush, so to speak?"

_Huh, that was weird,_ Shikamaru thought once again. _I missed. I'm normally a dead shot, too._ "No matter," he answered. "There are plenty of weapons here for me to use." He took a few steps back, and bent down to pick up a handful of shuriken he had used moments earlier. "This time, don't count on me missing!" With that, he quickly flung each shuriken at his opponent.

"Kurama!" Izumi yelled out.

"Do something, you idiot!" Edward voiced his concern, as well.

"What the--?" Shikamaru looked on with surprise. "No, it can't be."

"Okay," Kurenai spoke up. "I'm confused. What's the point of a strategy like this?"

"I don't know," Asuma answered her. "I've never seen him do anything like this once he's gotten someone in his jutsu." _What are you doing, Shikamaru?_

"Okay," Temari exclaimed once again. "Now, he's just acting stupid."

"I don't get it," Naruto commented. "Why would he do something like that?"

_What are you up to, Kurama?_ Hiei questioned, a confused scowl across his face. _How are doing this? I know it's got to be you, somehow!_

"It appears you are simply no longer able to aim your weapons effectively," Kurama said to him, unharmed from the last attack. Every shuriken passed by his body, each less than an inch from his clothes, and landed against the wall.

"How? How the hell did I miss..?"

"What?!" Ino screamed from her seat. "Shikamaru, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Take care of this guy, already?"

"So, Shikamaru doesn't make a habit out of stuff like that?" Sakura asked.

"Hell, no!" Ino answered, a little perturbed. "Whatever he's thinking, it better be to help him win." She folded her arms in disgust.

"Wait a minute, Ino," Choji said to her, actually stopping his munching for a moment. "It's just a little too weird, don't you think? This isn't Shikamaru's normal style. When he gets ahold of his opponent, he doesn't mess around." Each of the girls turned to him with interest. "I don't know... Anyway, he'll probably just give up once he gets tired." He continued eating the bag of chips as each of the girls just stared, speechless.

"Kurama..." Izumi simply looked on, stunned. "I can't believe you'd do that so soon."

"A valiant effort, Shikamaru," Kurama told him, as each began stepping around. "However, it is as I have already said once. It was taught to me that a shinobi cannot forfeit when an opportunity for victory is still present. And I have exploited that opportunity to it's fullest."

"What the heck?" Kankuro was puzzled. "What on earth is he talking about? He's the one under that shadow kid's control."

"Don't be too certain," Hiei quickly corrected him, gaining everyone's undivided attention. "I've learned quite a bit in the past about how his mind works. Somehow, at some point in the battle, Kurama seems to have gained the upper hand over his opponent."

"So what are you gettin' at, Hiei?" Greed asked his teammate.

Hiei just looked down, able only to guess at what his former companion might be up to. _Of all the humans I've met, you, Kurama, are the only one who's mind is untouchable... Just what are you up to?_

"So, wait," Temari began again. "You mean that somehow, Carrot Top down there is now controlling the other kid's movements, instead of the other way around?"

"That would explain why Shikamaru never hit him," Naruto answered, looking back down at the arena.

_I wonder if he's doing what I think he's doing,_ Edward thought to himself, with Hiei too preoccupied to think about listening in.

Meanwhile, back on the division for the kages, all three watched with anticipation. "This is odd," the Hokage said. "Shikamaru should have complete control over Kurama, but his moves are becoming less precise, almost eratic."

"Perhaps the control required for this jutsu increases the difficulty of additional tasks," the Kazekage asked.

"No, that's not it. Shikamaru's jutsu does not have that kind of drawback. He can still function normally when using this jutsu."

"There's no telling what could be wrong," the Mizukage spoke up. "Perhaps his jutsu has some weakness that Kurama child was able to exploit."

"I really can't be certain of that just yet," Sarutobi simply replied.

Suddenly, a masked shinobi appeared from the hallway. He walked over to the Mizukage, and bent down to deliver a message.

"Of course," he answered.

"What's the matter?" Sarutobi asked.

"It seems a certain problem has come up," he answered as he stood. "And I am needed to sort it out. Apparently, one of the genin claiming to come from the Land of Ice was suspiciously late to arrive with the rest of the contestants over there. And another member seems to have disappeared entirely. Although I don't know who they are, they arrived with official verifications from my land. So I am still responsible for them."

"Very well. I'll leave you to your business, but please be quick to return. It would be a shame to miss even one of these matches."

"Of course," he bowed to the both of them. "I will return as soon as my business is complete." He then turned to walk away, the ninja following not far behind.

"Things certainly seem hectic today, wouldn't you say, Kazekage-sama?"

"Yes," he answered with a suspicious glance in his eye, still watching the hallway. "Of course, during celebrated events such as this, trouble has a way of popping up in the most unexpected places."

"Indeed. We must stay aware of any suspicious activities that might occur..."

The first match continues...

"Well, this is new," Shikamaru stated. "No one's ever discovered any way to reverse my jutsu. Mind letting me in on your secret?"

"Perhaps another time," Kurama answered simply, each of them moving away as they continued walking to their sides. "For now, there are too many spectators to safely divulge such a technique." _I'm afraid this includes you, as well, Hiei._

_... Damnable fox..._ Hiei retorted, his brow twitching slightly.

"However," Kurama continued, "it is true. I have indeed found a way to make my movement my own once again." He came to a stop in front of the rose he had dropped earlier, which was blown away by the paper bomb, and crouched to pick it up. "As a matter of fact, it seems you are now moving by my will, rather than the other way around. So as I am certain you are well aware," he began walking back towards Shikamaru, and slung the rose to his side, once again forming the whip, "there is no way for you to avoid further harm."

_Damn it,_ Shikamaru thought as he made his way closer to Kurama, trying to move any muscle in his body by his own will. _He's right. Somehow, he's taken control over my jutsu, and I have a feeling he can keep that control for as long as he wants. Plus, I've used so much chakra during this fight on those clones and substitutions, and now I've got almost nothing left._ Soon the two competators were face to face. "I don't suppose you're changing your mind about that whip?" He asked with a spiteful grin.

"If you wish, I could give back momentary control over your arm," Kurama answered. "What you wish to do with that chance is up to you."

"Right..." As promised, Shikamaru was able to lift up his left hand, with Kurama following once more. "Alright, that's it. I'm finished!"

"Huh?" Naruto watched, speechless.

"Told'ja," Choji almost gloated, with no surprise.

"Oh, come on! You can't be serious!" Ino was less convinced of the position Shikamaru was in.

"I can't believe it," Asuma said with surprise.

"And there's the match," Izumi stated calmly.

"Shikamaru..." the Hokage watched with interest.

"I said I'm done. I give up." Shikamaru finally lowered his hand, and released his jutsu, their shadows seperating once again. "Whether or not I had decided to let go of my jutsu earlier probably wouldn't have made any difference. Even if I'd gotten control back over my body, I really don't think I have it in me to go another round with you."

"Very well," Genma spoke up as he made his way to the contestants. "The first match is now over. The winner is Kurama Minamino!" A loud cheer and applause rose to this announcement.

"Commendable," Kurama answered, his whip returning to a rose once again. "You are, indeed, a wise fighter. Aside from having impressive abilities, you also know the limits of those abilities, and you are wise enough to know the proper time to concede a match." He held out his hand for Shikamaru. "However, had I not been prepaired, I'm certain you would have won this match."

Shikamaru looked back at him for a moment. Then, cracking a grin, he put his hand out in return. "Thanks. You're not too bad, yourself. The kind of fighter you are, I can see why you guys were able to handle a B-ranked mission."

"What the hell did you just give up for?!" Ino was less than happy about her teammate's decision. "Shikamaru, when this exam is over, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Calm down, Ino," Sakura fanned at her friend. "So Shikamaru lost the match. It's not that big a deal."

"Bull! He just forfeit!"

"Come on, Ino," Choji butted in. "You oughta know him by now."

"I don't believe it," Asuma was stunned. "This kid... actually reversed Shikamaru's jutsu. How did he manage to do something like that?"

"Still," Kurenai questioned. "Don't you think it might have been a little soon to just give up like that? I mean, aside from being able to lift his arm, once he released his jutsu, he was able to move on his own again. Couldn't he have just done that in the first place?"

"Perhaps, but the outcome probably still would've been the same. Shikamaru just seems to have a lack of drive for anything he's told he actually _has_ to do. When he doesn't see something to be very important, he's really just too lazy to care."

"I wonder, do you think he's really cut out for this?"

"I've wondered that myself, so many times..."

"Are you both alright to walk by yourselves?" Genma asked him. "The medics are standing by incase any genin is too badly injured."

"No, it's fine. The only injury I got was really just a scratch," Shikamaru told him.

"My injuries are quite minor, as well," Kurama answered.

"Alright. You can go on back, then. The next match is about to start."

"Sure."

"Shall we?" Kurama asked, glad to escort his former opponent back.

"Let's go," Shikamaru answered with a chuckle, as they went on their way.

"Now then," Genma spoke up so everyone could hear. "It's time for the next round. Alphonse Elric, and Naruto Uzumaki. Will both contestants please come down for your match?"

"Finally," Naruto said coursely, yet with a little joy. He turned to the opening leading back down to the ground. "I've been waiting forever for this. I'm gonna make that rat pay!"

"Naruto, wait!" He turned to the voice behind him. Edward paused for just a moment. "... Be careful."

"Right." With that, he turned back, and made his way down.

"So, Greed," Edward turned to the homunculus. "Is Al really gonna be there?"

"No doubt about it, Pipsqueak."

* * *

"So, Kurama, that's a strange jutsu, controlling plants. Is it in your bloodline? Huh?" As they both came to the stairs going up, Shikamaru was surprised to see Kurama heading past them. "Where do you think you're going?"

"If you don't mind, I would prefer that we take a small detour."

"What for?"

"It would only take a moment, Shikamaru."

He eyed Kurama suspiciously, and decided to follow. After a moment, he asked. "So, any particular reason we're so far back here?"

"At the moment, I'd rather not say. It might still be too hazardous to hint at my actions." He immediately stopped, turning back to Shikamaru. _I don't sense any other presence here for the moment._ "I understand I may be asking a bit much, considering we've barely met, but would you mind closing your eyes for a moment?"

"Alright, Kurama. I may not be the brightest shinobi around, but I'm not dumb enough to just close my eyes when a complete stranger says. What are you up to?"

"I understand your hesitance, Shikamaru. However, at this moment, there is a homunculus, as well as a ruthless demon, among us. Considering the problems we face at the moment, it seems I should be the least of your concerns."

"It's still kind of an uncomfortable request, if you ask me."

"Please, Shikamaru. Trust me." They traded stares for a moment, then Shikamaru gave in, closing his eyes, and holding to blind faith. (Heh-heh. "Blind faith.") "Good." Immediately, Kurama began the handsigns for another jutsu, concentrating on Shikamaru. "Tell me, Shikamaru," he said with his hand on Shikamaru's neck. "Do you feel anything right now?"

"Nope, nothing. Why?"

"That's good. Just a moment, and this will be done." Without delay, Kurama dug his finger lightly into the wound he had inflicted with the whip. And, just as quickly, he pulled it back out, with Shikamaru none the wiser. Then, he immediately formed another handsign, releasing his genjutsu on Shikamaru. "You may open your eyes now, Shikamaru."

"Glad you're done," he answered as the two began walking again, this time back to the stairs. "I still don't get what the point of that was."

"Nothing more than a safety precaution." When they were nearly back at the steps, a now familiar face met them. "Alphonse Elric."

"That's right," he answered. "What? Am I supposed to be impressed? I know your name, too, Kurama. I've heard quite the tales about you and Yusuke. And so far, I'm kind of disappointed. I expected to see some violent blow-out from you at some point." He sighed as he continued on his way. "Another time, I guess..."

Kurama and Shikamaru just stared silently as Al continued to the exit, before going back up the stairs themselves.

Meanwhile, outside...

"There he is, now," Hiei said to the others as he saw his teammate walk out onto the ground. Everyone else looked down, seeing for themselves.

"Al..." Edward was still uneasy.

"Alphonse..." Hinata whispered, barely audible enough for Sakura and Ino to hear. They turned, finding the same look of fear on her face as last time.

"Hinata," Sakura reached back to try and comfort her. "Are you going to be alright?"

Hinata, however, continued to stare off at the boy...

"Hokage-sama," the Kazekage spoke up. "Isn't that the boy the Mizukage mentioned? The boy who suddenly disappeared?"

"Yes, I believe so." He turned to the jonin at his side. "Go find the Mizukage, and let him know that the boy has just arrived. He no longer needs to search for him."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he answered, making his way through the doorway.

At this time, Naruto, having passed Kurama and Shikamaru on the way down, too in a hurry to talk, was making his way outside, where he saw Alphonse waiting in the center for him. He wasted no time in getting there.

"Naruto..." Hinata whispered fearfully, again. _Please, be careful, Naruto. There's something strange about him..._

"Go, Naruto!" Sakura yelled out. "You can take him, no problem!"

"Damn straight," he answered quietly.

Edward looked on with worry and anticipation. _Naruto... My brother... Either way, there's nothing I can do but watch..._ He clutched the rail tightly.

"Now," Genma began, between them, "whenever you're ready, begin!"

* * *

There's one match down. Like I mentioned, I'm following a logic. Just be patient, and you'll find out. Next, it's Naruto's turn. Does he have what it takes to beat Alphonse?

Please review...


	23. Perilous Combat!

*Disclaimer: I do not own _FullMetal Alchemist_, _Yu Yu Hakusho_, or _Naruto_.

Sorry for not updating recently. 1, I've been having serious writer's block. 2, I've been busy with important things. 3, I've been sick recently, which has caused major problems. 4, I'm getting the feeling that many people are losing interest (which may effectively end the story), so a little extra encouragement would be _greatly_ appreciated... Now on with the story.

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* * *

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Ch. 23 "Perilous Combat: Wicked Alphonse!"

"Naruto..." Hinata whispered fearfully, again. _Please, be careful, Naruto. There's something strange about him..._

"Go, Naruto!" Sakura yelled out. "You can take him, no problem!"

"Damn straight," he answered quietly.

"Now," Genma began, between them, "whenever you're ready, begin!"

"You don't gotta tell me twice!" Without hesitation, Naruto ran straight for Alphonse, ready to land a hard blow.

"Too slow," Al answered, as he ducked, grabbing Naruto's wrist with one hand, and his shirt with the other, and easily tossed him across in midair.

"Wha-- Yahh!" This caught Naruto by surprise, as he landed on his back, several feet away.

"Are you serious?" Al looked with a vague grin as he walked up to him. "I know you have more in you than that. Come on." He stopped over Naruto. "You gotta put your _hips_ into it!" He quickly dug one heel into Naruto's chest.

"Aagh!" He coughed in pain. Quickly, he did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Al's ankle, and lifted his hips, raising one leg up to kick him in the gut.

However, Al easily caught his foot with one hand. "You'll have to do better than that." Suddenly, he jumped (pushing off of Naruto's chest), and pulled Naruto up with him, slinging him away in the opposite direction, to roll to a halt. "You're not very bright, are you, kid? I've barely even attacked you yet, and you're already losing."

"Shut up," Naruto growled as he rose back up. "I'm just getting started!" Again, he ran head-on for Al. "Haaa!!"

"Great, another genius," he sighed. This time, instead of countering, Al began dodging Naruto's punches with ease.

"Damn you!" Naruto yelled at his ellusive enemy. "Hold still!"

"Now where's the fun in that?" Al asked as he ducked down, catching Naruto's leg between his own, and twisted, pulling Naruto's knee forward and down to the ground. He rolled until he was on top of his younger opponent, who lie strained on his stomach with his legs bent so far behind him. "God, you're pitiful. If you're any indication of what this village has to offer, then there was no reason in even coming in the first place. They ought to call the match right now and name me the winner." Al began laughing loudly.

"You bastard..." Images of Al's fight with Hinata began flashing in his mind.

* * *

_"Now, since I handled your best attack," Alphonse told her, still grinning, "it's about time to wrap things up." After only two or three fast revolutions, Al twisted his stomach, tilting Hinata for her head to crash into the ground. _

_Al continued tossing around the helpless Hinata like a ragdoll. "Hey, come on," he told her, tossing and attacking her violently. "It's no fun if you're not awake to enjoy it!" _

_"Let her go, you bastard!!" Naruto yelled again, nearly ready to jump over the rail. _

_Edward yelled beside him, "Alphonse, stop it!! You won!! She can't fight anymore!!!" _

_"That's what makes it worth the while," Al whispered into the frightened young girl's ear, before tossing her into the air. _

_"No!!!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs, fighting to get over the rail, Kakashi holding on to the neck of his jumpsuit. _

_Kakashi, Kurenai, Izumi, and Guy all moved down to the arena, and, along with Hayate, stopped Al only inches above Hinata's now limp body, his knee at her throat. _

_"Hinata..." Naruto said as he slowly reached the scene. He saw the condition she was in: her face and body covered in blood, gashes in her face and arms, her shirt torn in several spots, her eyes half-opened and glazed over. She had passed out. _

* * *

"Damn you... You think this is just some kind of game?!" Suddenly, with a burst of rage, Naruto swung his legs back, toppling Alphonse back to the ground, and lifted himself up to begin attacking again. "I told you before, I'm not letting you get away with what you did to Hinata!"

"Whoa!" Al was now forced to block the attacks instead of easily dodging them. "Now this is more like it. Looks like you're the kind of kid who has to get mad in order to do anything, huh?" He immediately caught a right with his right, and pulled Naruto towards him by his fist, ramming his left fist into his side.

"Aahh!" Naruto pulled back, both hands over his side. "Why you--" He was abruptly interrupted by a jumpkick to his head, knocking him back yet again.

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura and Hinata yelled simultaniously, both surprised.

"Ah! Naruto!" Edward yelled with equal concern.

"There, now," Al taunted. "That's the kind of fight I want to see. That fire is the key to making this fight worth something."

"(_Eergh..._) You want to see worth, do ya?" Naruto grunted as he got back on his feet, and crossed his hands in the sign for his now-famous jutsu. "Then let's see how you like my Shadow Clone-no Jutsu!" With that, nine more Narutos appeared in midair, circling Alphonse, for a total of ten. "Now, try dodging this!" All attacked at once.

_Fine._ Now, Al realized he now had a fight on his hands. _Maybe he'll actually make me break a sweat..._ He caught the first punch, ramming it into the second Naruto, then kicking the first, eliminating them simultaniously. A third came, where Al grabbed his arm, to roll over his back, kicking him into two more oncoming clones from the air. The next pair, he grabbed hold of their sleeves and proceeded to swing into the previous two clones, eliminating the four at once. Within all the smoke from the disappearance of the clones, it was becoming difficult to see. _Alright, I'm pretty sure that was seven. _He pulled a kunai out in each hand for another attack. _Three more to go._

"Shadow Clone-no Jutsu!" Another set of clones appeared, this time out of Al's sight.

"What?!" Al knew he was quickly finding himself at a disadvantage. _I don't believe this. The more of this kid there are, the more difficult it's gonna be to fight him._ Al turned in the direction he heard Naruto's voice. "That's it. Time to put an end to this nonsense." With that, he jumped up out of the thick smoke, ready to hurl his kunai at his targets. "Uh-!"

"Surprise!" Naruto was within arm's reach, and, before Al could respond, landed a solid hit on his jaw.

"Alright, Naruto-kun! That's how you do it!" Sakura jumped out of her seat and yelled for her teammate.

Al was immediately sent flying into the stone wall only a few meters away, where he landed with a crash, dropping his kunai. "Aahh!" And, just as quickly, fell back to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Now for the second course!" An entire wave came from all forward angles at Al.

"Al!" Edward yelled out for his brother, who was quickly on his feet again.

"Don't worry, kid," Greed told him from the side. "He takes a bigger beating than that in sparring matches."

"Is that so?" A familiar voice came from the door behind them, with unhastened footsteps. "Then I take it we aren't too late to watch the remainder of Naruto's battle with your brother." Kurama walked out of the shadowed entrance, with Shikamaru behind him.

"Yeah. It's just started." Edward turned back to the match. "But it looks like Al is actually winning."

"Of course, you mite-sized fool," a more abrupt voice chimed in. Who else would so bluntly answer, but Hiei. "Why do you think he would even be able to last on our team?"

"Excuse me..?" Edward looked over to him with a grim glare.

"Heh. What's the matter, little alchemist? Did I stutter? Or perhaps you're more accustomed to the more mainstream slangs of 'Shrimp' and 'Midget?'"

"Oh, dear," Kurama stared at the two with a tense experession as he took a step back, much to Shikamaru's surprise. "Hiei, I think it not wise to--"

"Or perhaps 'Pipsqueak' is simply more suited to your taste."

A moment passed in uneasy silence, with even Shino watching with intrigue, while Naruto could still be heard in his fight against Al. ("Aagh! Crap!") Then, Edward began to grin. "Heh.. He-ha.. Ha-ha-ha...!" And he burst into laughter, clutching the rail.

Kurama stared in astonishment. This must have been the first time he had ever seen Edward take such insults without physical retaliation or verbal threats.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" He spoke between guffaws. "I can't believe you actually said something like that... to _me!_ Calling _me_ short... Come on! You're four-foot-nothing with your hair-do!"

"Hrrmm..." Hiei growled.

"Yes," Kurama spoke up, struggling to keep his giggles down, "he _does_ seem to get that quite a lot..."

_I wouldn't doubt it,_ Shikamaru silently aggreed. _And to be that small, if I hadn't seen what he can do with my own eyes, I wouldn't think he was much of a threat, either._

"Well, at least I'm not so insecure about my height that I would resort to something as desperate as elevated boots!"

"(_Haa--_) What did you say?" This quickly changed Ed's attitude.

"Well," Kurama started, surprised, "That's a new one."

"That's it! I'm shutting you up!" Edward quickly swung for Hiei, missing him by a fraction of a second as he vanished, and nearly losing his balance. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm right here, Child." Edward turned to find Hiei standing right behind him, with his large sword pointed only an inch from Ed's throat.

"Impressive," Temari commented quietly at the scene.

Edward stood frozen, a sweatdrop running down his chin as he stared anxiously. The cheers of the crowd and the blows from Naruto's fight echoed in the background. "I am not the one who wishes to fight you," Hiei continued. "However, I have no problem if or when you feel so inclined to challenge me." He then decided to resheath his sword. "Though I seriously doubt you have it in you to meet me in the finals, if you can even last long enough to face Greed."

"Excuse me," Kankuro chuckled. "But did I just hear you right? You actually think our team is gonna lose to you guys?" Hiei simply turned his attention back to the match, paying no heed to Kankuro (much to his displeasure).

"Aagh!" Naruto fell back, knocked down by another hard left. _What's with this guy? His punches feel like solid lead. And every time I make more clones, he just plows right through them._ "Damnit, I didn't think I'd face someone like him."

"Don't feel bad, kid. Chock it up to experience and sheer physical strength," Al told him as he kneeled down beside him, his hand at his throat. "You're younger than me, and you've barely been able to test yourself in a real fight. I, on the other hand, have been doing it for a while." He then lifted him back up.

"Don't get cocky, pal," Naruto told him with a disgusted look. "I already said I'm not gonna lose this fight!" He grabbed Al's wrist, and twisted to kick at his head.

However, Al saw the kick, and managed to tilt his head far enough that it slid across his head. _Too easy,_ he thought, before getting hit by Naruto's other leg.

_I gotta get out of his grip!_ Naruto immediately tried to pull away, but Al tightened his grip, refusing to let go.

"You know, Naruto," Al started, looking up at his opponent, "you've got a lot to learn about the way the world works!" He immediately turned and threw Naruto into the air, and jumped up to follow him.

_This is my chance!_ Naruto formed another set of hand signs.

"Oh, no you don't!" Al pulled out a few shuriken and quickly hurled them at him. However, Naruto was quick enough to finish the jutsu in time, leaving a puff of smoke and a log to take the brunt of the attack. _No, damnit!_ Al caught the log, pulling out the weapons, and fell back to the ground. "Where are you, you little brat?"

The crowd was silent, waiting anxiously to see what would happen next. _Damnit!_ Naruto thought to himself in one of the bushes where he silently lie in wait._ This guy's a tank! And he hasn't even used any of his jutsus yet._ He paused with a realization._ Wait a second. He's not using any jutsus._ Images of Al's fights flashed in his mind._ All this time, he's been relying just on taijutsu. It's a little different, but it's the same as with Bushy-Brow. Maybe he _can't_ use genjutsu or ninjutsu. I just gotta figure out a way to use that to my advantage._ As he started to lean back, he accidentally knocked at a branch, causing the leaves to rustle. "Ya-ugh..."

"Huh? Heh-he..." Al gave a conniving grin at the bush. "Gotcha." He quickly swung his shuriken towards Naruto in the bush.

_Oh, crap!_ Naruto tried to dodge the quick projectiles, managing only to move enough to avoid damage to any major organs as they only impaled a few muscles. "Aahh!"

"No, Naruto-kun!" Sakura and Hinata yelled in unison once again.

"Damnit," Naruto cursed silently, pulling the shuriken out of his stomach. "I've gotta find a way out of this. I just have to!" Once again, he made another hand sign for... "Shadow Clone-no Jutsu!" Of course. A puff of smoke appeared around the bush, with two Narutos jumping out towards Alphonse.

"Come on, kid. Give it up!" He jumped up, kicking one clone into the other, and jumping back off of them. However...

"Hey!"

"Huh?" In mid flip, Al saw another set of clones from his opposite direction in midair. _Oh, crap..._

"Eat _this!!_" One clone jumped off the other's arms, and landed a devestating blow to his chest, sending him flying back in the opposite direction, where he crashed into the wall, creating a large cloud of dust.

"Al!" Edward struggled to restrain himself, gripping at the rail once again.

"Ouch," Greed commented with a smirk. "That's gonna leave a mark."

Naruto's clones landed on the ground, looking up at the cloud of debris on the wall. After a few seconds, he pondered, "He hasn't come down, yet. Did I knock him out with just that punch?"

"That's the way to do it, Naruto," Sakura cheered out to him.

Everyone watched with anticipation, waiting for the cloud to dissipate. And what came surprised Naruto more than anyone. "What the--?" Through the clearing smoke, a body-sized crator could clearly be seen, but Alphonse was nowhere in sight.

"No way, it can't be!" Sakura was nearly as surprised as him.

"Where did he go?" Ino pondered out loud. Hinata simply continued to watch, worried, silent.

"See, kid," Greed spoke up, snapping Edward out of his tense gaze. "Whad'I tell you? He's not gonna have any problems out there."

"This is turning out to be a rather amusing match, don't you think, Hokage-sama?" The Kazekage asked.

He looked over to his counterpart. "How do you mean?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've noticed, one fighter seems to simply be toying with the other, who is apparently doing everything in his power to win."

The Hokage looked back, concentrating intently on the match. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It certainly seems to be keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats, at any rate." He continued in thought. _But the match has been going on for several minutes. Certainly, the Mizukage would have been informed of the intruder's arrival by now. Just what has he been called away for that is more important than capturing an infiltrator to his own village? I wonder..._

"Alright," Naruto crossed his fingers once again. "Time to look sharp!" However, before he could do anything... "Huh?" A strange noise caught his attention. "What's that?" It was an unplacable type of static sound, which, apparently, only he had noticed. "Is it him? Where'd it come from?" Naruto was now looking around, desperate to know.

"Bad move, kid!" Alphonse swiftly jumped out of the tree, which was to the far right of where he had hit the wall, towards Naruto, who looked in surprise. "And now, it'll cost you." He pulled out a handful of kunai, tossing them towards Naruto, who barely managed to avoid them. Almost immediately, Alphonse landed right in front of Naruto, catching him by surprise, and spun around, swinging for his head.

Naruto managed to block it, but felt himself forced back while trying not to give into the impact of Al's hit. But without hesitation, Al grabbed Naruto's arms, and quickly spun around behind him, holding him hostage by his wrists.

"You dirty rat," Naruto scorned, as he immediately popped his head back, nailing Al square in the nose, making him release his grip momentarily. "Now you're mine!" He spun around, pulling out some kunai of his own, and started swinging for Al, who was struggling to dodge at the moment, and nearly up against the wall, literally.

_Damnit,_ he thought. _This kid is really starting to piss me off. Maybe I should just go ahead and end the games. I'm putting myself at risk already._ With that, he quickly jumped up into the air, kicking for Naruto again. However, this time, Naruto managed to block the kick, and stand his ground. _What?!_ And instantly, he came back, his kunai, digging into Al's ankle on each side.

"AAHHH!!!" Al yelled out.

"No, Alphonse..." Edward was on the verge of tears having to watch a battle where his own brother was the enemy.

To compensate for the pain, and lost mobility, Al came off his good leg, landing on one hand, and kicked straight for Naruto's gut.

He managed to block the hit, but lost his kunai, as well as being sent backwards.

_Crap! I don't know if I can keep this up,_ Al thought, leaning up against the wall. "This kid's better than I thought."

_What?_ Naruto thought. _He's not moving. That must mean I've got him cornered. This is my chance!_ "Shadow Clone-no Jutsu!" More of Naruto appeared, and began running towards Al.

_Fine, kid._ Al straightened his body flat against the wall, with his hands out to the sides.

"What the-- No!" Greed finally spoke up, catching everyone's attention, especially Ed's. "You stupid twerp! Now isn't the time for that!!" He yelled to his teammate over the rails.

"What? What's going on?" Ed asked anxiously. "What's my brother up to?!"

Al continued in thought. _I'll admit, you're a little too good for me to just toy around with._ A bright light began to flash at his back, where he was up against the wall. He began to grin. _But that just means I get to have some _real_ fun, now._

"What the hell?" One clone questioned as they all stopped in their tracks.

"What?!" Ed looked on in shock. "No. No way! That's impossible!" Kurama moved closer to inspect as well. Al was moving back, using the flash to disappear _into_ the wall. "How... There's just no way.." Edward continued in disbelief. Quickly, Al's entire body had absorbed into the wall, with his face disappearing into the light.

_Interesting..._ Sarutobi thought to himself.

"Stupid bastard, why couldn't you just wait?" Greed was not pleased, for some reason. _He was supposed to wait until we had the targets, like we planned... Damn!_

"What just happened?" Sakura looked closely. _That jutsu... It's just like the one those guys used against us in the Forest of Death. But... When he did it, he didn't use any handsigns. And that white flash..._ She then reached a realization. "No way!" She immediately turned around to find Hinata, frozen, eyes wide with fear.

"What is it, Sakura?" Ino asked.

"Hinata," Sakura started. "You don't that Alphonse..."

"Alphonse..." Flashes of her fight with him entered her mind, followed immediately by Greed's fight. "That flash of light... Greed did the same thing with his arms."

"What?" Ino asked, confused.

"I thought so," Sakura turned back to the fight with a concerned look.

"Edward," Kurama asked solumnly. "Could this possibly mean that--"

"No!" Edward slapped away at the question. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Kurama!" He looked at him a desperate expression in his eyes. He immediately turned to face Greed and grabbed his vest, tears forming in his eyes. "Say it, Greed. Tell me it's not true! Tell me Al isn't..." He paused, hoping, _praying_ he wouldn't have to finish. Greed just looked him in the eyes solumnly. "No." Ed released him, and stepped back, stunned. "But... I, I saw him at the Gate. Body, soul... everything." He dropped to his knees, staring aimlessly. "I thought I did everything right..."

Naruto and all of his clones were still on the ground, waiting for Al to reappear. "Where'd you go, you coward?"

"Alphonse..." Edward talked to himself, quietly.

"Edward..." Kurama kneeled in front of him, trying to get his attention. Shikamaru stayed close by, paying close attention.

"Al is... He's... a homunculus."

* * *

As normal, please review the story. Seriously.


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